The Shadows of the Sith
by amthyst-fire
Summary: Abandoned Story though it is finished . In process of rewriting.
1. List of Characters

**This should be a complete list of all the Characters that should be in this story.**

**(updated to include characters as they become important enough to get mentioned, or at least for me to think about mentioning them, as I know there are now a bunch of characters on here who have yet to appear in the story.)**

**This is really just for reference. If this is your first time through, I recommend going immediately to the next chapter, but come back here if you get confused.**

**If you haven't read Yoda's Shadow, it sets up this AU, so I really recommend that you read it first.  
**

* * *

_Anakin's Family_

Padmé Naberrie, His wife

**His Children**

Luke

Leia

Elizabeth(Liz)

Celia

Cedric

Jaedrea(Jae)

Julia(Jul)

Jasmine(Jaz)

**His children's spouses**

Han Solo

Mara Jade

**His children's children**

Sabé Solo

Kitster Solo

**His Padawans**

J. K. Burtola

Ash Ker

_Obi-Wan's Family_

Siri Tachi, his wife

**His Children**

Siri-Wan Burtola(Rain)

Dak-Tin(Dan)

Fel-Gin(Fin)

**His children's spouses**

J. K. Burtola

**His children's children**

Olisa Burtola

Kennis Burtola

**His Padawans**

Anakin Skywalker

Mara Jade Skywalker

Jaedrea Skywalker

_Other Jedi Characters_

Aayla Secura, Leia's Master

Ayden Cerre, an Initate in Garral Clan

Coleman Trebor, Council Member

Corran Halcyon, Padawan from Boma Clan, to Kit Fisto. Lives with his grandfather and grandmother.

Eeth Koth, Council Member

Elysa Moriare, a fifteen-year-old Padawan

Ferus Olin, Siri Tachi's Padawan, now a Master himself

Jace Danray

Ki-Adi-Mundi, Council Member

Kit Fisto, Council Member

Mace Windu, Grand Master

Nejaa Halcyon, Jedi Master

Oppo Rancisis, Council Member

Orlin Davnic, a fourteen-year-old Padawan

Plo Koon, Council Member

Qui-Gon Jinn

Saesee Tiin, Council Member, Julia Skywalker's Master

Sarek Elson

Sarven, a Knight from Boma clan

Shaak Ti, Council Member, Cedric's Master

Sha Koon, Liz's Master

Soara Antana, Lightsaber Master

Stass Allie, Master Healer, Council Member, Celia's Master

Territh Kether

Tolin, An Initiate in Sleen Clan

Yoda, Retired Grand Master

_Other Characters_

Alyssa, A student at the NFS complex

Arrana, Padmé's secretary

Bail Organa, Senator of Alderaan Sector, Assistant Chancellor

Chis Bon, Aide to the Chancellor

Dexter Jettster, Owner and cook for Dex's Diner.

Jer Amereth, A teacher at the NFS Complex

Kem'ska, a Kon'me Senator from Bal'demnic, representing the Auril Sector

Lando Calrissian, Baron Administrator of Cloud City

Livo, An older student at the NFS complex

Lobot, Human interface to Cloud City main computers

Mon Mothma, Senator of Bormea Sector

Nog'reth, a Kon'me Senator from Bal'demnic, reprsenting the Auril Sector

Ral'Rai Muvunc, Senator of Ryloth

Rostek Horn, CorSec. Friend of Nejaa Halcyon.

Selene, A student at the NFS complex

Sev'rance Tann, Dark Lady of the Sith

Sillise, A Togruta student at the NFS complex

Valin Halcyon, Son of Nejaa and Scerra Halcyon. Never trained as a Jedi. Works in CorSec. Father of Corran Halcyon.

_Wookiee Characters  
_

Attichituk, _Itchy_, father of Chewbacca and Kallabow

Chewbacca, _Chewie_, Wookiee with a life-debt to Han Solo. Acts as first mate on _Melinium Falcon._

Dewlannamapia, _Dewlanna_, former cook aboard the _Trader's Luck_.

Kallabow, sister of Chewbacca

Mahraccor, Kallabow's husband_  
_

Mallatobuck, _Malla_, Chewbacca's wife

Lumpawarrump, _Lumpy_, Chewbacca's son

Utchakkaloch, _Chakk_, son of Dewlannamapia and Isshaddik

_Rogue Squadron_

Rogue Leader—Garven Dreis

Rogue Two—Wedge Antilles

Rogue Three—Wes Janson

Rogue Four—John D. Branon

Rogue Five—Biggs Darklighter

Rogue Six—Derek "Hobbie" Klivian

Rogue Seven—Jet Tono Porkins

Rogue Eight—Elyhek Rue

Rogue Nine—Zev Senesca

Rogue Ten—Bren Quersey

Rogue Eleven—Naytaan

Rogue Twelve—Theron Nett


	2. Arrival

**AN: Ok, here it is. I suppose I owe you an explaination or two, but I'll let you read this chapter first.**

**I humbly suggest that you read "Yoda's Shadow," if you haven't. This story takes place both moments and thirty-six years after the events of that story...well, read it and you'll understand.**

* * *

Chapter 1

**Coruscant, Jedi Temple, Skywalker Central, 39:4:14, just before midnight**

Anakin woke with a start, sitting up in his bed, _alone_, he noted. The door to his room opened, admitting a slight figure. "Daddy, can I sleep with you? I had a bad dream."

He swallowed, "Sure, honey, it'll be ok." He moved over toward the middle of the bed and the little girl climbed up beside him. He tucked the blanket in around her, though he didn't get under it himself, because he was sweating from his own nightmares.

"Did you have a bad dream, too, Daddy?"

"Yes, sweetheart, now go back to sleep," he encouraged, really having no idea what to do with her.

"What was it about?"

"I was fighting with a bad man."

"Oh. Those are bad dreams. I dreamed that I was getting chased by a big cat thing."

"I will protect you from your big cat thing, if you will please go back to sleep."

"Ok, Daddy," she said agreeably. After about three seconds, she started again. "Daddy, why do you dream about fighting the bad man?"

"I don't know, I just do. Now sleep," he said, reinforcing it this time with the Force.

"Night, Daddy," she said as she drifted off to sleep. He sat there for a few moments, wondering if he should attempt to contact his two oldest children, then he heard Luke screaming, deep, as though it was both through the Force and physical.

* * *

**Coruscant, Jedi Temple, Jade-Skywalker Quarters, 39:4:14, just before midnight**

Luke sat upright in bed, screaming, "NOOOO!!" before he could catch himself.

"What's wrong, Luke?" a sleepy female voice from somewhere in the bed asked him. He couldn't see well enough to make out any details of his sleeping arrangements in the darkness.

He calmed his breathing, trying to not to project abject panic through the Force. "Nothing, just a bad dream is all."

"You're not worried about the baby are you?"

"Uh, no, it was just your standard nightmare."

She reached across his chest, pulling him back down onto the bed. "Go back to sleep, Luke. We've got a big day tomorrow. I'm so happy that we get to share this with everyone tomorrow."

_Luke._ He heard his Father's voice.

_Father, I watched him kill you. We are back in the present, though, sort of, aren't we?_

_So it seems. We'll talk about it in the morning. _

_I'm glad you're still around. _Luke said, feeling contentment radiating back from his father as he faded into sleep. Luke didn't understand why he was in bed with a woman who was talking about a baby. _His baby?_ He rolled over so that he was facing her, and let his hand rest on her flat stomach. It would be some time before he got to know this little one. He drifted back into an uneasy sleep thinking about the child that she carried, that for some reason she thought was his.

* * *

**Coruscant, Jedi Temple, Skywalker Central, 39:4:15, second hour**

Padmé came home after a long drawn out session of the Senate. She hated spending all of her time there, and having so precious little to show for it. She made her way into the bedroom, noting a familiar lump in the bed by Anakin's side. He didn't let Jaz sleep with them much anymore, but he was uncovered, and she was covered, which suggested to her that he'd probably had a nightmare, just as Jaz had. Padmé was thankful that of all their children only Jasmine had consistently had nightmares as a child, and fortunately, just the normal variety, not the prophetic ones that Anakin typically had. Hopefully something else wasn't going to start going wrong. She sighed, unwrapping the covers from underneath Anakin, who'd sprawled across the bed, so that she could get covered up, and snuggled into the crook of his arm on the other side, effectively pinning him down.

* * *

**Coruscant, Jedi Temple, Solo Quarters, 39:4:15, second hour**

Leia was nearly in tears as she woke. Watching her father, who, if he'd known that she existed, would have moved the heavens and the planets to get to her, die before her eyes, when she'd barely gotten to know him was almost too much for her to take. She sat up on the side of the bed, sobbing, not understanding how she'd gotten where she was, figuring that she must have passed out.

"What's wrong, Princess?"

The words startled her beyond anything that she could have imagined, "I, I just had a bad dream, Han. I'm sorry that I woke you," her mind quickly running through the reasons that she could have woken up in bed with him, and coming only to the conclusion that she'd returned to the present..

"Come back to bed," he pleaded with her, and she let him draw her close. "You doing ok, sweetheart? Babies not giving you any trouble are they?" he asked, putting his hand on her stomach.

She put her hand next to his, feeling slight flutters as the baby moved around inside her. "No, everything's fine, I think. Just a bad dream."

"K." he said sleepily, "Love you," then he almost immediately started a gentle snoring. Not loud enough to be obnoxious, just enough to be endearing.

"I love you, too," she said, slipping back into sleep, comforted by the presence that she thought she'd lost forever.

* * *

**Coruscant, Jedi Temple, Skywalker Central, 39:4:15, fourth hour**

Anakin woke because he couldn't move. He panicked for a moment before he realized that he was only caught by the weight of two other bodies in the bed. He looked down on the one side, remembering that his daughter had climbed into bed with him, and she was still curled up next to him. On the other side was someone else now, curled up and half laying on him. The deep familiarity with the sensation told him that it was Padmé. He fell back to sleep, hoping that he would understand more in the morning.

* * *

**Coruscant, Jedi Temple, Jade-Skywalker Quarters, 39:4:15, dawn**

Luke woke up at just past dawn. He liberated himself from the bed that contained a gorgeous fiery red-head. He felt out a bit with the Force, finding Leia not too far away, probably two or three doors down. He dressed, finding Jedi robes in the closet in two sizes: his and not his. He made his way down the hall, finding the door that he thought would be hers. He touched it lightly, finding her presence behind the door. _Leia._ He called out to her through the Force.

_What? I'm trying to sleep,_ came a terse reply.

_I need to talk to you._

_Why?_

_There's a woman in my bed. _

_So? Han is in my bed. We're back to something approaching reality. _

_What about Father?_

_I don't know. I'm home, or some close approximation, and I'll worry about him in the morning._

_It is morning. _Luke informed her as he reached out with the Force, searching for his Father's Force Signature, and found it. _He's here._ He told Leia, after confirming the talk that he'd had with Anakin wasn't a dream.

He felt her sigh, as she let out a breath that she'd been holding. _Good. I think that I would have missed him._

_I love you, Leia. I'm going to go talk to Father._

_I will see you at some time that does not resemble the crack of dawn._

Luke walked down the hall to the door that had been between their two respective quarters. _Father? _He queried Anakin.

_Luke. I'm rather tied up at the moment, but you can come in if you like._

_Tied up?_

_Yes. Your mother has me pinned down on one side, and your sister on the other._

_Sister? But Leia's in her room down the hall. _

_Not that sister. _

_I have more than one?_

_To all appearances. _

_I want to see._ He informed his father, and opened the door, which led to a common area. He saw Threepio and Artoo powered down in the corner. He looked around, having an odd feeling of déjà vu. There were four doors on one side, and four on the other, with one being an obviously larger room. He quietly opened that door, and saw what his father had been talking about. A dark-haired little girl, nine or ten, was curled up against his left side, and his mother, being finally the proper age to be his mother, was curled up on his other side. _You certainly look different. You have hair._

_That's all you can say? I have hair?_ He asked as he looked at Luke through slitted eyes, as Luke leaned against the frame of the door.

_I have a problem._

_Really. _

_She's in my bed. _

_And?_

_She's pregnant, but don't tell anyone. She said something about sharing with everyone this morning. _

_What's she like? _Luke formed a picture of her in his head. _Mara. _Anakin informed him.

_Mara?_

_Mara Jade. She was, shall we say, interesting. _

_Interesting good or interesting bad?_

_That depends on whether you'd gotten on her bad side or not. We were rivals. _

_Do I really want to know this story, Father?_

Anakin considered for a moment. _Probably not._

_Temper?_

_Yes._

_Worth it?_

_You apparently thought so._

_Thanks for the vote of confidence. _

_I do everything within my power to be helpful. I'd like to think that I'm a good father._

_And a prolific one. _

_What do you mean?_

_I walked through the common room and there are a total of 8 bedroom doors, including yours. _

_That could be interesting._

_And all of them but one, which I assume is hers, is occupied. _

_Oh. _He paused for a moment._ Well, that does rule out the possibility that two of those rooms are yours. _

_Yes. I think one of those is not human, though. _

_A Padawan, then. _

_You think?_ Luke asked sarcastically.

_Watch your tone, young man._ Anakin said with mock severity. _You're starting to sound like Obi-Wan._

"Daddy?" the little girl asked sleepily.

"Go back to sleep, honey," Anakin said, "It's not quite time to get up yet."

"Yes it is. The sun is up," she informed him as she wiggled out of the bed clothes, bounding toward the door, stopping dead in her tracks when she saw Luke in her way. "Luke!!" she screeched, running straight for him.

"Shh. You don't want to wake Mother up do you?" he asked as he caught her.

"No." she shook her head to emphasize the point. She fiddled with the edge of his robes as she spoke. "I wanted to stay up last night, 'cause Daddy and Mommy said that you might get home, but they wouldn't let me." She threw her arms around his neck. "I miss you when you're gone."

"I know, Little Bit, I missed you, too." He said, hugging her tight, but not knowing exactly where the nickname came from.

"Daddy had a bad dream last night."

"Really? Is that why you stayed with him? Because of his bad dream?"

"Uh-huh. He said that he was fighting a bad man."

"I had a dream about that, too. But I remember that fight, and the bad man is dead."

"So he can't hurt Daddy any more?"

"No, he can't."

"That's good." She said, and started wiggling, so Luke put her down. "You promised you'd come see me at Lightsaber practice after breakfast when you got back." She informed him.

"Alright, I'll come to Lightsaber practice after breakfast." She headed into the 'empty' room.

"It's a good thing that your mother sleeps like the dead." Anakin informed his oldest child. "Did you want to go rouse the rest of the circus?"

"I suppose." Luke said agreeably.

He knocked on all of the doors, attempting to rouse Clan Skywalker through normal means, but to no avail. He tried a second time on the door next to the one sister that he'd as of yet been able to meet. "I've been—Luke!" another girl stared at him from the other side of the door then hugged him quickly. "Have you seen Jaz yet? You know how she gets when you're away."

"Of course he has, Jae." Jasmine said from behind him. "I'm his favorite sister and you know it."

"No, you're his favorite triplet. His favorite sister is Leia." Luke moved out of the way of the spat, retreating to quieter waters near his parents' door.

Another door opened letting out a third little girl. "I don't want to hear it this early in the morning. I've got my first lesson with Master Tiin this morning. I'm sure you can argue about who's whose favorite while I do that, if Master Kenobi will even let you out of his sight for that long, Jae." She retreated back into her room.

"Something's got Jul's panties in a wad, that's for sure." Jaedrea scowled.

"That would be you. I think she's scared that Master Tiin isn't going to take her on as his Padawan, and she thinks it's because of you." Jasmine said. "You've already got a Master, so you don't have to worry, but the two of us…"

"I'm sorry Jaz, I didn't mean it."

"You never mean it, Jae, but you've got to learn to think."

"Now you're just saying what Master Kenobi says," she pouted.

"If you'd ever stop and listen, maybe it would get through to you." Jasmine said as she headed back into her room.

The fourth door on that side opened, and another girl, much older came out. "Oh." She said when she regarded Luke. "Are the twins up?" Luke blinked a couple of times. "Not you, you big oaf, the other twins."

"Not as of yet."

"Celia, Cedric, you'd better get out here before Mom and Dad get up."

A faint reply of "Ok, Liz," came from both doors.

"You look shell shocked. I'd shoo before Celia takes it into her head to doctor you up."

"Yes, ma'am," Luke said, grinning; he'd always wondered what it would've been like having siblings when he was growing up on Tatooine.

"I thought Master Jinn spent thirteen years driving all the cheekiness out of you, big brother."

"Nah, just repressed it until the proper moment." She patted him on the cheek.

"Good to have you home. See you at breakfast." She went back to her room to finish whatever morning rituals that she'd abandoned.

_Rotten luck, Father._

_What's that?_ Anakin said, happily enjoying his bit of sleeping in while watching Padmé sleep.

_I only have one brother.

* * *

_

**Coruscant, Jedi Temple, Solo Quarters, 39:4:15, less than an hour after dawn**

Leia couldn't go back to sleep after her brother had come to have his "talk" with her. Half asleep, she had no problem figuring out how to do the whole talking in her head thing, but now, fully awake, she couldn't remember how it worked. _Oh well, I guess I'll just have to track him down the old fashioned way. _She got up and looked through her closet. There were Han's military uniforms, and her Jedi robes. _I've never worn Jedi robes in my life_, _how do you put them on? _she wondered, but they turned out to not be an issue, being simple and fairly self explanatory and not nearly as complicated as some of the things that she'd worn as a Princess.

Leia stepped out into the hall, just as Luke exited the room next to hers. "Luke, what are we going to do?" she asked as he hugged her, both of them having found themselves stuck in situations that they didn't understand.

"Go eat breakfast. I have apparently made a promise to watch Lightsaber practice afterwards. Did you want to come?"

"I don't think so." She frowned. "I have something else to do, but I have no idea what."

"I think we all need to go have a nice long talk with Master Windu about what to do next."

"That sounds like a good idea."

He guided her into the door that he just came out of, through the ensuing chaos, to a closed door, upon which he knocked.

Anakin Skywalker answered the door. "Hey kids. Need something?"

"Yeah, a talk," Luke said, _with Master Windu._ He added silently.

"I'll catch up later, Padmé," he called back into the room, closing the door behind him.

"Don't be late for breakfast." She called after him, in a tone that said that he'd done so far too often.

"Come on," he said, herding them through the mob to the door to their quarters.

* * *

**Confused yet?**

**So, life went along after the events in "Yoda's Shadow," and the souls of the three Skywalkers were held by the Force until the time that they had been removed from, which is the beginning of this story. Setting is equivelant to that of "Return of the Jedi," where the characters originally came from, except that, of course, everything is different. **

**I again humbly suggest that you read "Yoda's Shadow," if you haven't. It explains why things are so very different for the characters. **

**Oh, and the question--Why did I 'kill' Anakin? Plot point to get them here. An occurance to signify the end of their presence in the past. **

**In case you are wondering, Anakin's children are (in order, with ages) as follows: Luke, 23; Leia, 23; Elizabeth, 18; Celia, 13; Cedric, 13; Jaedrea, 9; Julia, 9; and Jasmine, 9.**

**Let me know if you get confused along the way. The list of characters for this story is extensive. **


	3. Children and Padawans

**AN: Seems like everyone is enjoying, which makes me happy, although a lot of people seem confused, which is understandable, although somewhat intentional. The intention is for the readers to follow the original trio as they brave the new reality, so as it unfolds for them, so it will for you, or that is the hope. We shall see.**

* * *

Chapter 2

**Coruscant, Jedi Temple, Grand Master's Quarters, 39:4:15, seventh hour**

Mace Windu was meditating when someone knocked at his door. He sighed, having hoped that he would have at least an hour to himself before the Grand Master of the Jedi was _required_ for something. He was surprised at the appearance of Anakin Skywalker and his two oldest children. "Anakin, it's good to see you, what can I do for you?"

"There's a problem."

"And that would be?"

Anakin sighed, sitting down on one of the meditation cushions. "I'm not sure where to start with this. Do you remember the Massacre in the Senate?"

"Of, course, Anakin. You, as I recall, slept through it, but that's neither here nor there."

"I did not." He said indignantly. "I was the primary combatant in that particular episode."

"Ah," understanding came instantly for the Jedi. The travelers from the future had returned to their present, which was, unfortunately, now. "We had considered this as a possibility for the twins, but not you. All three of you?" after they nodded, he continued. "You'll need some help adjusting to the new reality, and such," Mace said, beginning to pace as he thought about a reality that had been discussed, but now they had to actually deal with, "Leia, of course has been exempted from active duty for the duration of her pregnancy."

"Her what?" Anakin asked, and Luke looked just as confused.

"You're telling me that you hadn't noticed that I'd started to have a shelf instead of a stomach?" Leia asked.

"If I may continue," Mace said, silencing them, "Luke just got back from a particularly difficult mission, seeing if he could track Darth Maul or Darth Immolious down, so down time for Luke isn't a problem. I don't suppose you remember anything about that now, because it was late enough when you got in that we forwent you giving a report in favor of doing that this morning." Mace felt a sinking feeling as he realized that.

Luke closed his eyes for a moment, the Force flowing strongly through him, "I found her, but she got away," he opened his eyes, and released the Force.

"I was afraid of that. A detailed report can wait." He waived off further consideration of that topic. "Your Padawan, Ash Ker, is nearly ready for his trials, is he not, Anakin? It would provide a convenient excuse to keep you here."

Anakin considered for a moment. "I can't say that I have a strong feeling either way about that."

"Alright. We can decide that later." He glanced at the chrono, "I'm sure that the Chancellor will have my head if you are late to breakfast. She's very picky about so very few things, but that's one of them."

"The Chancellor, Master Windu?"

"Yes, also known as your wife."

"And when did that happen?"

"About five years ago. You don't have all that much more of it to endure. She won't be seeking another term, nor will she accept one if they start pressing her to take it."

"I wouldn't expect any less of her." Anakin said. "I feel like there's something I should do this morning, but I can't for the life of me think what."

"Me, too," Leia said.

"You have an appointment at the Healers, Leia. You were complaining about that yesterday when you were here to talk about Luke's return. I haven't any idea of your schedule, Anakin, I'm sorry. You might meditate, and see if it comes to you." Anakin scowled, clearly not happy with the prospect. "Now, out, before you're late. _I_ was actually enjoying my meditation, before you interrupted me."

* * *

**Coruscant, Jedi Temple, Burtola Quarters, 39:4:15, seventh hour**

J. K. picked up Kennis, fighting to get pants on the boy. Olisa thankfully was able to get dressed on her own, being a much better behaved child.

"I'm ready, Daddy." She said. After a short inspection, he nodded.

"Alright, let me get your brother ready." He pulled a shirt over his arm, grabbed the boy's head and worked his arms into the right holes. Kennis, for his part, fought the dressing as much as possible, as he would have rather run around naked. What he didn't mind, though, were shoes. He found them utterly fascinating, and tried to take them off at every opportunity to play with them.

J. K. picked up Kennis before he could start taking his shoes off, "Rain?" he called into his bedroom, "We're ready to go."

"Alright," she answered him. They took turns with the children as much as possible, and she'd been home with them while he'd been off on a mission, only getting back several days prior. She took Olisa by one hand, and he took her other hand, and they went to breakfast.

When they arrived, Qui-Gon was already sitting at the head of the table, talking with Obi-Wan over the head of Obi-Wan's latest Padawan. Next to Obi-Wan, on his other side was his wife, Siri. He was glad to have that little hellion under the watchful eyes of three Masters, because she'd been so wild from day one.

Siri-Wan greeted her parents while he settled the children down, sitting between them, and then Siri-Wan sat down in the vacant seat between Siri and Olisa. Mara and Han were sitting across from him already, though both Luke and Leia were missing. He caught a hint of excitement from Mara—_Luke must have made it home._ But before he could ask her anything, Padmé came in with her other five children, and his Master's new Padawan, Ash. By the time that she'd gotten them settled down, Anakin came in with Luke and Leia, with Ferus and his two brothers-in-law not far behind them.

Anakin sat between Qui-Gon and Padmé, with Ash next down from her. Luke and Leia sat next to their spouses; and Ferus and Dak-Tin sat at the foot of the table with Fel-Gin on the other side of Kennis, to help reign the boy in, and breakfast began. With that, conversation turned to Luke's arrival, but he waved off questions, since he hadn't even given his report to the Council. Luke remained unusually quiet through the rest of the meal, as did Leia. J. K. fed Kennis, which kept him more occupied than he liked. _What's going on with those two_, he wondered, but Kennis kept him distracted. Then Mara made an announcement—she was pregnant.

* * *

**Coruscant, Jedi Temple, Dining Hall, 39:4:15, eighth hour**

Luke forced a smile at his wife's announcement. Fortunately for him, almost all of the attention at the table was directed at her, and he was only a bystander. _The joy of being the father and not the mother,_ he thought to himself, watching her getting fussed over by all the other females at the table. He was perfectly happy to look happy, act happy, and let her take all the attention. She shot him a couple of looks that told him his acting wasn't quite up to par with her, but she seemed to be the only one who noticed.

"So are you going to have a girl or a boy?" the little girl across the table from Mara asked.

"Girl," Luke said, at the same time that Mara said, "Boy."

Anakin laughed, "Don't have that argument. You'll end up with twins."

"Just tell me how you ended up with triplets, so that we can avoid that pitfall, and I'll be happy." Luke said, amused.

"It's really too early to tell, Olisa. And why spoil the surprise?" Mara asked, deflecting attention from Luke's comment.

As Luke contemplated how he'd come to the conclusion that the baby was a girl, he absently took Mara's hand in his. He stroked the back of her hand with his thumb as he thought, realizing that the baby's Force signature was already shiningly clear to him, and she was defiantly female.

* * *

**Coruscant, Jedi Temple, Dining Hall, 39:4:15, eighth hour**

Qui-Gon watched over the brood, feeling like more like a mother hen, that morning. Something was different about his charges this morning. Anakin, Luke, and Leia all felt different, and it was a profound change. He needed to talk this out with them, and maybe involve Master Windu in the discussion. He wasn't unhappy with some of the changes, especially his Padawan's…he chided himself. _He's a Knight now,_ but Luke's Force signature had deepened and matured in the time since he'd last seen him. _Wait, I know that signature. _He started cursing silently to himself for not having seen it sooner. It certainly explained some of the more bizarre behavior that he'd seen from Luke that morning.

Anakin had been acting out of sorts, so something that he'd suspected, but the Council had discounted, that he'd be along for the ride, had happened. "A word, Anakin, before you take off," Qui-Gon said, leaning over close to a man that he'd treated like a son since he was nine years old, despite the fact that he was Obi-Wan's Padawan. They'd treated each other more like brothers. He'd always been the resource of last resort in a fight, until Anakin had finally gotten through his more volatile years.

Both of them too stubborn to give in, for a long time, though eventually both learned to see the other's point of view. Qui-Gon felt that it had actually been harder for Obi-Wan to see things from Anakin's view point than the other way around. Things turned to the talk of Luke and Mara's baby, and Luke seemed, not unhappy, but detached, from the event. It worried Qui-Gon, but he hoped that he could get the boy settled in, and flying straight in his new life. Breakfast adjourned after that happy news, Jasmine coming up to Luke, tugging his sleeve. "I haven't forgotten, Little Bit. I'll be along in a few," she had never been very good in large groups. He'd seen her clam up when it was just him with the rest of the family, so painfully shy, she was.

"You haven't forgotten what you need to be doing this morning have you?" Qui-Gon asked Anakin quietly, after taking him aside. "I know what's going on, so I'm just making sure that you're on track with everyone else."

"You know? That makes things easier, Qui-Gon, thank you. I know there's something, but I can't put my finger on what."

"If you'd relax a bit, it might come to you. You are wound up tighter than I've seen you since just before the triplets were born. Now, I have treated you as though you were my own son since you came here as a small boy, Anakin. I took your son as my Padawan, and I've watched Leia grow up. I of all people should be able to tell when there's something amiss, especially something so profound."

Anakin nodded, acknowledging the fact that Qui-Gon was right, but tried for the easy way out anyway. "Now, what really important thing am I to do this morning?"

* * *

**Coruscant, Jedi Temple, Initiate Lightsaber room, 39:4:15, ninth hour**

Luke watched as Soara Antana led his littlest sister's Lightsaber class. He didn't know how he knew that she was his youngest sister, just as he didn't know how he knew the name of the instructor. He watched from the prospective gallery, making all of the Initiates nervous. She put them through drills then paired them off. Jasmine did well enough in the drills, but when it came to one-on-ones, she faltered. He was saddened to see the bright, confident girl that he knew she could be, so scared of the rest of the world that she could barely defend herself. Master Antana came over to him, still watchful of her class. "Don't you have enough to do, chasing the Sith down for the Council, my young Jedi friend, without taking a Padawan on?"

He smiled at her, truly smiling for the first time that day. "No, I came to watch Jaz. Is it always like this? She's so timid with her opponents."

"I'm afraid so. I haven't told your father yet, but I'm not sure she's cut out to be a Jedi. Medi-corps is still something viable and useful that she could do with her skills, and she wouldn't be required to take up a Lightsaber, ever again."

"Has she said anything?"

"What do you mean, Luke?"

"Has she said anything about not wanting to be a Jedi? Or anything that might give us a clue to why she isn't trying?"

"You've picked up on that. She hasn't said anything about it," the Lightsaber Master told him, "but you know how little she says on any subject."

"Hmmm…She can't continue on like this. She'll never survive her Padawan years if she doesn't gain confidence," Luke said, concern leaking out.

"She's lucky to have a brother that cares so much for her well being,"

Luke blushed, "I try. It's different with the triplets than it was with Leia and Liz; I was nearly grown when they were born,"

"She idolizes you, Luke. I think she thinks more of you than she does your Father."

"I don't know about that; she's closer to the other two-thirds of Team Trouble," Luke said with a chuckle, realizing for the first time that he'd been talking about stuff he had no knowledge of as if they were memories he'd had his entire life. The realization was comforting; maybe his relationship with Mara would come into focus after all.

They watched in silence for a few minutes as Jasmine parried perfectly every attack her opponent threw at her, but never once did she go on the offensive. Luke watched with disturbed interest as the duel went on far longer than it should have. He lightly touched her mind and felt what she was thinking; her thought process was very similar to his when he dueled with an opponent. He knew instinctively she should be able to wipe the mats with any of her class mates. Something was holding her back though.

_Jaz, what are you doing? _He projected his thought to her through the Force.

_LUKE!! You came! I was afraid Mara might steal you away since you've been gone so long. _Jaz sent back, not bothering to look in his direction, although he knew that she could tell very well where he was.

_And I'm gonna be in trouble for that probably, Little Bit, but you haven't answered my question. What are you doing? You are better than this; you could've ended this duel in five seconds. _

Jaz visibly faltered after that and her opponent nearly got through._ Are you mad? _Jaz's tone sounded like she was now near tears.

_No, Jaz. I'm not mad__, I am curious. _

_You don't like it though, I can feel it. _

_No, I don't like seeing you perform below what you are capable of. If you were to do this as a Knight innocent people could be hurt, or worse__, you could be hurt. _Luke told her, letting his concern through as well.

_I just don't want to hurt Tolin's feelings. I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings. _

_Is that all?_

_Well, that and I don't think I would learn as much if I ended the fights quickly like Jae and Jul d__o. They humiliated their opponents. Not meanly, but just by wanting to be the best and trying to outdo each other, and wiping the floor with people in the process._

Luke smiled at that, feeling pride well up at his sister's noble thoughts; however, it would be a detriment to her if she didn't learn when she needed to be on the offensive. _I understand now. However, you should realize that it might mean you don't get chosen by a Master. Do you want to risk being able to become a Jedi? _

_I haven't thought about that. Do you think it might really hurt me? _Jaz sounded crestfallen. Luke was impressed how she was able to have such a conversation with him and still keep her opponent sweating, trying to get through her defense. No doubt about it, Skywalker blood ran through her veins. However her other attitude hinted at his Mother's contribution to the mix.

_I honestly don't know, Little Bit. Every Master looks for different things, but our missions are very dangerous and a Padawan has to be able to defend herself so she can defend others. Remember, Dad lost his arm before he was even a Padawan._

Jaz suddenly closed down her blade and just weaved back and forth avoiding the blade of Tolin. Luke could feel the frustration building in the boy.

_Jaz…now you're being mean. Put the boy out of his misery. _Luke sent, and it was an order. Jaz recognized it as such, too.

_Yes…Master. _Jaz sent, respectful, not sarcastic at all, and indeed far more respectful than he had ever addressed Qui-Gon in thirteen years of being his Padawan. Jaz quickly disarmed Tolin and extinguished both blades and bowed to her opponent. The boy said something to her that made her giggle.

_What did he just say? _

_He said, 'Thanks, I was getting tired,' but you better go see Mara now Luke. __I think she's upset._

Luke then realized something about his sister; something he KNEW was a new thought. _She's a lot more sensitive to everyone than anyone I've ever met, _Luke thought as he turned to Soara.

"What did you say to her?" she asked surprised how quickly Jasmine ended the fight once she decided to.

"I think I know what is troubling her. She's trying not to be her sisters," Luke said.

Soara eyes lit up in understanding. "Why didn't I see that before? Thank you Luke, I should've come to you when I noticed her starting things like this."

"Don't worry about it," he told her, dismissing the notion, "Before I left you had Jae and Jul down here. Jaz has always been in their shadow; she's used to it, and I think prefers it."

Soara nodded and Luke left her to her class. He had something to discuss with his wife, and didn't have a clue how she was going to take it.

* * *

**Coruscant, Jedi Temple, Kenobi Quarters, 39:4:15, ninth hour**

Obi-Wan started the meditation cycle again. Jaedrea had interrupted him for the third time this morning. He wondered briefly why he'd agreed to this arrangement. _Oh, yeah, that's right. I handled Anakin; therefore the Council feels that I should be able to handle Anakin's most difficult child, and the eyes, always the eyes. Why didn't Qui-Gon take him on when he had the chance? I was chosen to train him not even a day after I'd been _Knighted_, for Force's sake. Oh, yes, that whole 'travelers from the future' thing. I didn't even have to do this with Anakin. And he was never _this _bad. Oh, wait. The first time around, Qui-Gon's death had brought home the idea that this was serious business, and the second time, the loss of his arm. _Finally, his mind settled enough for the next stage of meditation, which he actually got through this time. He locked his Padawan into the cycle, so that their meditations would come into harmony, and they would begin the bond. _Again._

* * *

**Coruscant, Jedi Temple, Jade-Skywalker Quarters, 39:4:15, tenth hour**

Mara Jade Skywalker was having a very hard time reconciling her husband's actions over the last day. She thought that he'd be overjoyed when she told him that she was pregnant. He'd been overwhelmed by it. She thought he'd stay and they'd spend the day together that day, but Jasmine was apparently more important that morning, than the impending arrival of another person in their life.

He'd been gone for nearly three months, and her pregnancy was only a couple of days longer than that. He'd woken her up when he climbed into bed, because she wasn't used to it, after he'd been gone so long. She'd told him then. She'd been so happy to have him home. She'd been holding in the secret since she'd started to suspect a couple of weeks after he'd left. She burst into tears, emotionally overwrought from the events of the day.

He'd been to Korriban, she knew, and other places just as awful, she was sure, looking for the Sith. He was making the Galaxy safer for their child. He'd not even been asleep for an hour when he woke up screaming. He must have been under some incredible strains. Luke wasn't normally susceptible to nightmares, the way that his Father was, but he'd acted like it had been no big deal. _Maybe he's seen something that will give him nightmares for the rest of his life. _The sudden thought hit her.

He hadn't slept well the rest of the night, talking in his sleep, nothing that she could make heads or tails of, but it distressed her, probably because it made no sense. Then she'd woken up, and he was already gone. She'd met him at breakfast, but he hadn't even given her a kiss. When she would have asked him to come back to their room, Jaz had started tugging on him, some reminder of a previous conversation. _Come to think of it_, Mara thought, _I don't know that I've ever heard her say anything._ He'd not said anything, much, at breakfast, either. He'd smiled for everyone when she'd announced that the baby was on the way, but it wasn't a real smile. She could tell, and she wasn't happy about it. _Wasn't he happy about the baby?_ He didn't seem to be and it scared her. He'd gone all serious on her after declaring that the baby was a girl, but he fiddled with her hand, the way that he always did when he was working out a problem in his head.

That brought on a new burst of tears, when she thought about what kind of problems he could be working out in his head_. Was he trying to find a way to tell her that he didn't want the baby?_ She was surprised when he wrapped his arms around her. She hadn't heard him come in, and she hadn't felt it through the Force. He wiped the tears from her eyes, and made her look at him. His eyes were still the mixture of innocence and knowledge that they had always been.

"Hey, what's up with this?" he asked her gently, his voice almost trembling.

"I'm sorry, Luke. It's just that you've been gone for so long, and so much has happened to you, and I don't know what to think, because you haven't been acting the way that I thought you would about the baby. I thought you'd be happy, but," Mara's hard fought control threatened to let loose again.

Luke's eyes softened as he realized the problem. "Oh…I'm sorry Mara, I AM happy; it's just that this last mission was hard on me, and I'm still processing it."

"Really?" She asked him, sniffing because she'd been crying so hard.

"Really," he affirmed to her.

"So, are you going to start having nightmares more often now, because of what you saw when you were chasing down the Sith?" She braved herself for the answer, hoping he would be able to reassure her.

"I don't know, Mara. The Sith are enough by themselves to give anyone nightmares, but I think it'll work itself out soon." He seemed to be answering her honestly, and she gained hope from what he said.

"I do have something I wanted to talk to you about, though," Luke said, sounding as nervous as he did the day he proposed.

"What's that, dear?" Mara asked, the fear coming back to her throat.

"Remember before I left we'd talked about my taking on my first Padawan?"

Mara was taken back by this, she thought this was settled, "Yeah, and I told you to do what you felt in your heart you needed to do."

"I know, but I think I found one, but because of who it is I wanted to talk to you about it," Luke replied, he was really nervous about this; she could feel it rolling off of him.

"Who?"

"Jaz."

"Your sister? Is that even allowed?" Mara said, surprised by this news. It was rare that her husband could surprise her.

"There's never been a ruling on it. I just wanted to get your seal of approval before I talked to Master Windu about it or Jaz for that matter."

Mara thought about it and found that it just felt right. "Luke, you have a special connection with her. I think it would be a good match, besides, if I have to live with a Triplet I'd rather live with her," she said, with a mischievous grin on her face, glad to be having a normal conversation with her husband.

Luke got up and began rummaging through the stuff that he'd brought home last night. "Now, I have a nice long boring report to give to the Council, and after that, Master Windu promised a nice long rest from leaving Coruscant."

"I get to keep you home for a while?"

"For a little while, yes. Now that there's a baby on the way, probably until after she's here, I hope."

"You seem awfully sure of that."

"Can't you see her Force Signature?"

Mara looked at him like he'd grown a second head, but the expression was lost on him since he was looking for a datapad. "What are you talking about?"

He stopped and looked at her. "Your stomach practically glows; our daughter is going to be very strong with the Force, Mara, probably as strong as her Grandfather." He kissed her on the forehead. "Now I have a report to give the Council," he said, leaving with the datapad he'd been searching for in his hand, leaving her stunned.

Just before he left the room, she called out to him, "I love you." He turned and winked at her, then left their room. She wondered at his comment, subconsciously putting her hands on her stomach, trying to decide if there was any validity to what he was suggesting without actually testing it. Giving up, she decided to "look" and she could, indeed see that her stomach had brightened, and it was subtly different from her own Force Signature. _Was it female, though?_ She wondered, but she couldn't decide.

* * *

**Coruscant, Jedi Temple, Healer's, 39:4:15, ninth hour**

Leia went to her appointment at the Healers, and quickly realized why she didn't want to go. They poked, prodded and examined her in everyway that they could think of, and they were very inventive. She agreed to another of these in a month, for some weird reason. That was, of course, if she made it that long. She was carrying twins, and was seven months along. She was informed that it shouldn't be a big problem, since her mother had gone nearly full term with her and Luke. They'd made a big deal about it, since their Mother had been kidnapped, going into labor off-world.

Han had been waiting outside. Something about not understanding how the Healers could be so barbaric. "What do you want to do for the rest of the day, Leia?"

"Oh, I don't know. I was thinking about some meditation, then lunch…"

"Meditation? On my last day here before I go away for a whole month?"

"Hmm…" she said, pretending to continue considering the option. "I suppose I could be convinced to try something else."

"Good. Let's see…" He started naming off the things that they could go do together, starting with Dex's Diner for lunch to which Leia's stomach answered for her, drawing a laugh from Han, but she didn't really care what they did, so long as they were together.

* * *

**AN: Let me know if you need anything in particular explained to you. I've tried to keep everything as straightforward as possible, but since I know so much more about the way this particular interpretation of the universe works, some things that will be clear to me may be mud for you.  
**


	4. A calm day for the Skywalkers

MrPowell**: Luke's avoiding that topic like the plague. He won't even tell Jaz...**

Charlie Hayden: **As per your request, I've posted a list of characters...Which makes me think that I have too many characters. Oh, well. **

murdrax:** That's what Interum is for. **

TriGemini:**They don't exactly remember everything. Actually, they conciously remember almost nothing. It's all there though, and through the Force they are able to access what they absolutly need to know. It will take a while, and lots of meditation for them to be comforatable with their memories. They have a little time though, before things start to get really rough. **

* * *

Chapter 3

**Coruscant, Jedi Temple, Council Chambers, 39:4:15, tenth hour**

Luke arrived at the door to the Council Chamber. He was surprised that he didn't really feel nervous, despite the fact that he knew little to nothing about both subjects that he wished to discuss. A Knight, someone about his age, maybe a little older, stopped him. "Tell me your request and I will present it to the Council. They will determine if the nature of your visit is something that they will see to today." He sounded incredibly bored by the whole thing.

"I have an appointment with the Council." Luke said, and the young man disappeared through the door.

"He said to come in."

"Thank you," Luke said and entered the door. He entered to find the eight Jedi Masters waiting for him. He stood in the center of the room, and began to address the Council, referring to the notes that he had taken _before._

After giving all of the information that he had written down, and answering extensive questions, most of which he had no idea the answer to until it came out of his mouth, he was ready for the battle of his life.

"The Force has made it clear to me that it is time for me to take on a Padawan," he told the assembled Masters.

"I assume you have someone in mind if you are bringing this up," Master Windu said.

Luke took a deep breath, and said, "Yes, Jasmine Skywalker."

"Your sister?"

"Yes. She is a reluctant student at best when she is around anyone, except me."

"I agree, she is has some of the worst scores in Sleen Clan." Master Mundi said. "We have been worried that her Path is not one of a Jedi for some time."

"She doesn't want that. I spoke with her this morning about it. She simply doesn't want to be the way that her sisters are. She is an incredibly sensitive child."

"What do you mean?" Master Rancisis asked him.

"She is very highly sensitive to the emotional states of those around her. It is difficult, if not impossible to hide strong emotions from her. I'm not saying she understands them correctly, all the time, but she knows that they are there."

"You believe that this explains her lack of apparent ability, especially in something as vital as Lightsaber combat?" Master Trebor asked.

"I believe so. She performs well below her potential, for fear of hurting the feelings of those in her class."

"Can you correct this?" Master Windu asked, "This belief, while it may serve her well in some situations, is disturbing if it cannot be reigned in."

"I believe that she can be one of the most powerful Jedi to ever walk these halls. She can learn when it is acceptable to act in the manner that she has been and when it is not."

"Have you ever watched her in combat?" Master Fisto asked. "She does not take the opportunities presented to her to end combat, until both combatants are worn out."

"She can end a battle any time that she chooses to do so. She explained to me that she feels that she is learning more by not ending the combat so soon."

"A radical view for one so young," Master Koth told him.

"She does have a point," he defended her, "and it is valid. She takes direction well, much better than I did at her age."

"I believe that I have learned more about Jasmine Skywalker in the last ten minutes than in the past nine years." Master Allie said, and her comment elicited a murmur of agreement.

"She is reticent, I agree, but I believe that with a little encouragement, she will have no problems adapting to her life as a Jedi. She's used to being in the shadows, but she will be able to stand on her own as well, I think."

"We will debate this. If this is the Will of the Force, I believe that it won't take long for that to be evident. You may wait outside." Master Windu told him.

Luke left the Council Chambers. "Well?" the Knight who guarded the door asked as Luke sat down on the bench.

"I told them I was considering a Padawan. They are going to debate my choice, Sarven," he said as he settled down on the bench across the hall, having finally dredged up the name of the Knight, one of his clanmates.

"Are you going to tell me?"

"Not until they give me the answer."

"You're no fun. I stand here and do this all day long, and no one ever tells me anything," he almost sounded like he was pouting.

"Mara's pregnant, that's something."

"Really? Cool. Are you excited?"

"In shock; I'll get excited later."

"She's pregnant and you want to take on a Padawan? Have you lost it?"

"No, I believe that I've found it."

"If you say so. I certainly wouldn't want to take on both of those responsibilities at once."

"Dad did it; taking on J. K. not too long after he was Knighted. We were born a couple of years later."

"Yeah, but…" he was interrupted by the opening of the Council's door.

"Your Padawan has been approved, Knight Skywalker." Master Windu said.

"Thank you. She'll be elated, I'm sure."

"You know better than I. It is clear that this is most defiantly the Will of the Force that you train her," Master Windu returned to the Chamber.

"So? She, huh? What's her name?"

"Jasmine," Luke said, getting perverse pleasure out seeing the young man's jaw hit the ground. "I should go tell her." He said as he walked away from the Council meeting.

* * *

**Coruscant, Jedi Temple, Room of a Thousand Fountains, 39:4:15, tenth hour**

Anakin was a bit shocked when Qui-Gon told him he was interviewing a couple on whether joining the Jedi would be best for their child. The blood work on the child had shown a mid to mid high level of midi-chlorians, just above average, at least as far as a typical Jedi was concerned. They were meeting in the Room of a Thousand Fountains. He saw them and they were human. Qui-Gon told him that they tried to have members of the same species talk to potential initiates as they could relate to fears and concerns easier than a member of a different species would be able to. Anakin and Qui-Gon sat down.

"Master Skywalker, it is a pleasure to meet you," the father of the child said.

"Good to meet you, sir. Call me Anakin."

"And I am Qui-Gon Jinn."

"I am Selek, and this is my wife Myrrissa. The sleeping bundle is Jydan."

"A pleasure to meet you all," Anakin started, "I am happy you chose to meet with us. Jydan's blood work showed he definitely has potential to be a good Jedi, but we aren't here to discuss what you already know. We're here to answer your questions and see if this will be a good fit for your family as well as the Jedi Order. In order to decide that you need to ask us some questions. Tell us about any concerns about him being trained, things like that,"."

"I'm sorry, Anakin," Qui-Gon said, looking at him, "but my Padawan seems to have something gnawing on his mind, and I feel I will be of more use helping him untie his thoughts than here. It was a pleasure meeting you both," Qui-Gon said and left.

Anakin knew he'd only stay until he was confident that he wouldn't need to save him. Once Qui-Gon left, Selek spoke, "He has a Padawan at his age?"

"Not an active one no, but he has a couple of them around here someplace, one of whom is my Master," Anakin said, then continued, "The Master-Padawan bond is something that never really ends until death, and not necessarily then. Its much like being a Father or a Mother," Anakin said.

"So a Jedi's Master replaces the parents?" Myrrissa asked.

"Not really. When a youngling is old enough to be chosen by a Master, usually between 10 and 12 for a human, the child becomes a Padawan. Sometimes that means that he lives with his Master. This doesn't end the child's relationship with their parents, but it is a step in the child growing into adulthood," Anakin said.

"What about your own experiences, as a child, then as a parent?" Selek asked.

"My situation was unique. I was nine when I was found by Master Jinn on Tatooine. I was a slave owned by a Toydarian named Watto. He was alright as far as masters went; my mother and I had had worse. Anyway, Master Jinn found me and took me with him in spite of my age. This was before the changes to the Code and I was WAY too old to start training, according to the Code at that time…" Anakin continued, answering their questions and concerns about a variety of topics ranging from safety to family quarters to job placement for the parents. He was surprised to find that he knew the answers to all of their questions, if he just relaxed and let the words tumble out of his mouth. They had lunch sent to them in the Room of a Thousand Fountains. After lunch, Anakin showed them Younglings in Lightsaber practice, and pointed out Jasmine to them, and was more than a little surprised to see Luke come in and pull her aside to talk to her. She squealed and threw her arms around him in a big bear hug.

"Looks like your daughter got some good news from that young man," Myrrissa said.

"Yes, it looks that way, I'll have to ask my son just what he told her to make her so happy," Anakin said, lost just a little bit in thought.

"The young man is your son?" Selek asked.

"Yes, he's my eldest and Jasmine is my youngest. The two of them have been close ever since she was born," Anakin said, the words rolling off his tongue before he realized their implications. "Padmé and I have been truly blessed with eight lovely children, even if the last three nearly wrecked the Temple on more than one occasion." Anakin started chuckling at the newfound memories; they hadn't been funny then, but time had a way of making near disaster seem humorous.

"Most of our concerns have been laid to rest, Anakin. Thank you for taking the time you have with us, you must be awfully busy and we've taken up most of your day as it is," Selek said.

"Don't worry about it. I never plan anything else when I'm talking to parents; it always takes all day, and to be honest with you, I wouldn't have it go any faster. If you decide that this is best for your family, you'll be joining a very large and very loving extended family. It's a major decision to make," Anakin said, shaking their hands and bidding them good day.

He saw them out of the Temple and just before they left, Selek turned to Anakin and said, "We really like what we've seen here, Anakin. We've got a lot to think about though."

"I understand. Enjoy your flight home." With that, they boarded the shuttle and left Anakin wondering how long it would be before they started moving in.

* * *

**Coruscant, Jedi Temple, Map Room, 39:4:15, tenth hour**

Cedric was gnawing on a problem while Shaak Ti was doing something he considered incredibly boring, greeting a new Initiate potential and their family. He hadn't even bothered finding out if this one was a boy, a girl, or something else entirely. All of his life, at least as far as he remembered, he'd listened intently on all of his Mother's rantings about the Senate, even if she didn't know that he was listening. Everything he'd heard, by itself, had little cause for concern. Cedric though, looked at everything, and he saw a pattern. He was working on that now, in the map room. He'd pulled up the whole galaxy, and started to work through the Trade Agreements that had passed since the Massacre in the Senate, years before he was born. A conclusion came to him, after he'd run through it three times. Someone, probably the Sith were moving the major Galactic players around like so many chess pieces. Cedric ran his fingers through trade agreement lines, borders between sectors, which powers held influence over what systems. What he saw frightened him. Easily a fourth of the Galaxy was in the process, whether orchestrated or not, of isolating themselves from older trading partners and forming new, unheard of partnerships. He made a couple of motions with his hands coloring those areas that were still mostly interdependent with the rest of the Republic and those areas that were becoming independent of the Republic's economic structure. What he saw made him run to seek out his Master.

* * *

**Coruscant, Senate Rotunda, Main Chamber, 39:4:15, eleventh hour**

Padmé fought not to roll her eyes; she'd be glad when her term as Chancellor was over. Even Jae had been better behaved as a toddler than some of these Senators.

"Order! Order! The Senate will come to order!" Chis Bon, her aide said loudly. The Senate was debating what to do about the resurgence in Neimoidian piracy. Their Senator, of course was acting outraged at the mere mention of it.

"The Senator from the Sovereign System of Alderaan is now recognized," Padmé said.

"Madam Chancellor, fellow members of the Senate I come forward in favor of the bill to extend the authority to the Starfleet the ability to search any Neimoidian freighter for illegal weapons. Since the disillusion of their Trade Federation, the Neimoidian people have not been good citizens at all; preying on innocent traders as well has larger shipping concerns. I hope that these measures will be sufficient to get the people of Neimoidia to see that there are better ways of making a living than stealing from their fellow citizens," Bail Organa finished. He was the last one to make a speech one way or the other on the bill currently before the Senate. "The chair thanks the Senator from Alderaan. No more speeches have been requested it at this time, do I have a motion to move to previous question on the bill before the Senate?" Padmé asked; glad to finally be able to ask for the vote.

"If the Chancellor pleases, Kashyyyk would like to open the motion for previous question," the Wookiee Senator's translator droid said, with an undercurrent of the Senator's growling language.

"The Assembly of Mon Calamari seconds the motion to move to previous question by our esteemed college from Kashyyyk," the Mon Calamari Senator moved forward.

"The vote on the motion will be vocal, simple Aye or Nay. All of those in favor?" The chamber echoed with a bunch of ayes, but by no means an overwhelming majority. "And those opposed?" A near equal number voiced their opposition, hoping for more time to garner the votes needed to defeat the measure. Padmé was glad that she got to rule on this herself. "The Ayes have it, the motion carries," this was followed by booing by the side that lost.

"Order! Order! The Senate will come to Order!" Chis Bon shouted out again, once the Senator's quieted down Padmé spoke again.

"Voting will begin after a fifteen minute recess; the vote will end an hour after voting begins." She then lowered the podium and raced to her fresher, where she spent two thirds of the recess rejecting her lunch.

* * *

**Coruscant, Jedi Temple, Jinn Quarters, 39:4:15, eleventh hour**

Qui-Gon hadn't lied about Luke being worked up in knots, but it wasn't really something that he could help the boy with. He'd had very little experience dealing with spouses. Obi-Wan had been able to help Luke through the worst of it, and so he'd never had to take an active role in that part of his Padawans' lives. Obi-Wan was worked up too, but for a different reason; that being he had let the Council talk him into taking on the most difficult Padawan in history.

Qui-Gon thought about going to help Obi-Wan, but decided against that as well. He'd trained two Padawans to Knighthood, and created the bond twice before, although the first time it just sort of grew on its own because of the circumstances. He'd actually had to help Obi-Wan block off part of that bond, while Anakin grew. Neither of them wanted the memories of the former Sith Lord to bother the young boy.

He settled for going to his quarters, and sending through their training bonds that if they needed him, he was available.

* * *

**Coruscant, Jedi Temple, Jade-Skywalker Quarters, 39:4:15, eleventh hour**

Mara had been surprised when Luke had asked her about a Padawan again. He was like that, though, or rather he'd been like that since he'd gotten home; quite unsure of certain things since he'd gotten back. She didn't really know what to make of it, but as he'd told her, he was still winding down from a three-month mission. Jedi sometimes got rather weary of the whole thing, but she hoped that he'd be back to normal in a few days. He'd already shown hints of it. Since he'd mentioned a particular triplet that he wanted to talk about taking as a Padawan, she thought he might bring her back, if he was successful in convincing the Council, she thought she should be ready for the eventuality, just in case.

She cleaned out the second bedroom in their apartment. It wasn't that there was much in the room; she just hadn't been in there in a while. She picked through a couple of boxes; there wasn't really that much that a Jedi collected, but one of those things was usually an assortment of beads, from when they were a Padawan. These beads were always the ones that were used when choosing the beads for a Knight's first Padawan, and depending on how much of a collector the Master was, and the first Padawan, sometimes some of them survived long enough to go to the subsequent Padawans. She found Luke's little treasure trove, remembering fondly how he looked with his braid. That was in there as well, curled into tight circles, inside a clear bag of its own, with several beads still attached to it. She didn't want to be too over the top about it, so she simply set the little bag of beads to the side of the box that they had come out of, so that if she needed them, they would be there, and she wouldn't have to dig for them.

She sat on the sofa in the common area, not sure what to do with herself; but fortunately, Luke walked in the door before she started to go stir crazy.

"Luke," she said excitedly, wondering if everything had gone well. "How was the Council Meeting?"

"Boring. They asked lots of questions. I answered them." He yawned, indicating exactly how boring it had been.

"And what about your Padawan?"

He broke out in a big grin. "They said yes."

"Oh, I'm so happy for you, Luke." It was then that she noticed the not quite hidden form behind her husband.

"Jasmine?"

She peeked her head cautiously around, hiding under his arm. "Yes?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper.

"Did you want some help with your braid?" Jaz nodded, but made no move to come any closer.

She went into the bedroom, and grabbed the little bag of beads, and grabbed a hand mirror and a comb for good measure. While she was gone, Luke had arranged her on his lap on the sofa, so that she could get help with her braid. "These are the beads that Luke wore when he was a Padawan. It is tradition that the beads that you wear in your first braid come from these," she told Jasmine.

She delicately took the bag from Mara. "I remember these," she said, scrutinizing them.

"Jasmine was worried because you are upset, Mara." Luke told her. "She's afraid it's because of her."

Mara pulled on the tie at the end of the girl's braid, and shook her hair loose. "Are you asking why I'm upset, Luke?"

"No, I have a reasonably good idea why you're upset. She's asking why you're upset, because she won't take the explanation from me."

Jasmine didn't say anything, intent on the bag of beads. Mara pulled the right amount of hair forward, and then braided the rest of her hair back into the single braid at the back of her head. "I'm upset because your brother doesn't seem to be happy about the baby," she combed through the bit of hair that she'd let loose, parting it so that she could braid it as well. She deftly wove the strands, getting to the bottom of the girl's ear. "What bead would you like first?" Mara asked her, needing to thread it on before she went any further. She felt something strange in the Force, like a pulse going back and forth between the two of them.

"This one; and that's silly. Luke's worried about something, but it's not that." Jaz said, fishing out the indicated bead and handing it to her.

"Alright, and what is it that he is worried about?" she asked, putting the bead onto the strands of hair in question. The back and forth pulsing didn't stop, but whenever she asked for a bead, one was dutifully provided for her.

"He won't tell me," Jasmine said after a little while, and then she turned to look at Mara. "But I think everything will be ok soon."

"There you go," Mara said, having tied the tie that had also been included when Luke had been Knighted. She was slightly disturbed by what Jasmine was saying. _How can she know that everything will be ok?_

She handed the small mirror to Jasmine, who examined the braid critically. "It's perfect, thank you," the little girl surprised her by actually wrapping her arms around Mara's neck in a hug. Luke sat there looking smug and satisfied.

"What's that look for?"

"I'm glad that the two of you are getting along, is all." He said innocently, but Jasmine's giggle told her that there was probably more to it than that.

"When I agreed to this, it didn't mean that I agreed to the two of you ganging up on me."

"It's not that," Jasmine said through her giggles, "it's that he's just being Luke." It sounded like she expected that to be enough of an explanation, which after a moment's thought, it really was.

* * *

**Coruscant, Jedi Temple, Healer's, 39:4:15, eleventh hour**

Stass Allie enjoyed her work as a Healer, and was happy with her current Padawan's progress. She let Celia continue to meditate while she answered the communicator that was going off in the other room. She was surprised at the person on the other end. "Padmé! Can I do something for you?"

"I seem to be having a problem."

"What kind of problem would that be?"

"I'm not feeling well. I lost my lunch, nearly on the Senate floor during a debate."

"That's not good. If you want you can come in and we can start with blood work."

"I have to get back to a vote, but after that, I think I can make a long enough recess to come see you."

Stass did a quick mental calculation, "About an hour, then?"

"Yes, maybe a little longer."

"Alright, see you then," she said, and returned to her meditation.

"Who was that, Master?"

"Your mother, Padawan, now you are supposed to be meditating."

"Yes, Master."

* * *

**Bespin, Cloud City, 38:8:11, Flashback**

Lando Calrissian walked through Cloud City. He loved this place and didn't want the Mining Guilds moving in on the operation. He didn't really understand why they were trying in the first place, because Cloud City wasn't a major mining concern. Surely, the minor contract he had with BlasTech for tibanna gas wasn't enough to make them drool, and the tourism portion of Cloud City's bottom line would be shut down completely if they did take over. Indeed, life on Cloud City would be very different if they did move in. Lando shook his head. He didn't know what he was going to do about it.

He headed down to the Carbon Freezing chamber where the Ugnaughts were preparing a new shipment for BlasTech. He liked to check up on these operations personally. It was a tricky operation, but the crews operating the system were professionals; they knew what they were doing. It was as the first container was done that Lando's comlink went off. He pulled it out.

"Yes?" He said.

"Excuse me for bothering you Baron Administrator, but there is a person that is requesting to meet with you," Lobot's voice came over the comlink.

"I'm rather busy at the moment, Lobot. What do they want?"

"She says that she is here to help us fend off the Mining Guild," Lobot said.

"Really, well, I suppose I can meet with her. I'll be up to my office soon," Lando said and closed the connection.

He headed up to his office and entered it; there was a beautiful blue skinned female. She had red eyes and was dressed in a skintight red leather dress, one that only came down as far as was absolutely necessary at the bottom, and only came up as far as absolutely necessary at the top. The leather set off all of her curves in a way that made Lando suck in his breath and shake his head to try to clear it. This was business and business and lust mixed about as well as alcohol and business. He sat himself down behind his desk and found his eyes drawn to her bust line almost immediately. _What is wrong with me? I'm a lady's man, true, but I've NEVER been this out of control._

"Hello, Baron Administrator Calrissian. I am Sev'rance Tann and I represent an organization that originates in what your Republic refers to as the unknown regions. We've heard about your trouble with the Mining Guilds and in researching this area of the Galaxy we've uncovered some information that you can use against them," Tann said.

Lando gulped as she leaned over the desk, her raven hair dropping over ample cleavage, just meeting the edge of the dress. The effect made Lando's heart beat sound in his ears. He started sweating. "Just…ah…what do I have to do to earn this information?" Lando asked, sipping some water trying to clear his mind. He really wished he could pour the cool liquid over his head; no woman ever had this kind of an effect on him before.

"Simple, for a man of your talents and connections," Tann said, "We have a selection of weapons that we'd like to sell to some interested buyers. We need someone that they'll trust. Your name came up."

"So you want me to fence your weapons, right? What kind of weapons are we talking about?" Lando asked, already knowing what the answer was, but wanting to hear it from this intoxicating woman first.

"Ones that we've been told your Republic frowns on people having. I hope the marginal legality of our business isn't a problem for you. I like you, and look forward to a," she leaned forward, bringing her pouting lips really close to him, "close working relationship with you."

It took all of Lando's self-control to NOT kiss her right then and there. He patted himself on back mentally for maintaining at least that level of professionalism.

When he spoke, his voice was husky, "I…" he cleared his throat, "I think we can work together then, Miss Tann," Lando said. Then his senses were overwhelmed when she kissed him.

* * *

**Remember, no fair spoiling any surprises for anyone who hasn't read Interum...**


	5. Just one big happy family

**AN: So the forth chapter, and some more character development, and fluff and stuff. We'll get into more meaty stuff soon, I promise. Probably about Chapter 10 or so.**

**rimera: Thank you and welcome.**

**Everyone else: Yes, Lando is in trouble, how much, we will see. Han will get to visit him sometime soon, Padme and Anakin will have news. I'm not sure yet if it's good or bad...**

* * *

Chapter 4

"Master Allie, I ran the test twice," Celia said, curled into a ball on the couch that was usually occupied by various patients. "I don't understand it."

"Well, my dear, sometimes these things happen, especially to your mother."

"But what are you going to tell her?"

"The truth, my Padawan. I think she can handle it."

"I know she can handle it, but it's just that…"

"She won't like it." Stass finished for her. Celia nodded. "Alright. Let me call her and tell her that she'd better come in, and we'll run a couple of more tests to see how much worrying we really have to do."

"Alright, Master."

Stass flipped on her com unit, contacting Padmé's office in the Senate building. "I would like to speak with the Chancellor if she's not in session."

"I'm sorry, but she is. You know how it's been—oh, wait. She's coming in now."

Padmé appeared in the holo, and the secretary went away. "Well, Padmé I have some good news, and some bad news."

"Go ahead."

"Well, I think we've figured out what's wrong."

"That's the good news, right?"

"Yes, but I think you'd better come see me, and you should bring Anakin."

"Today?"

"I'd like to see you today if at all possible."

Padmé stood still for a moment, mentally rearranging her schedule. "If it won't interrupt anything, at about eight, I can clear my schedule for the day. Anakin's been begging me not to work so hard, anyway."

"That will be fine." The communicator shut down from the other end. "There, see? She's going to be here tonight, and after that, we'll just have to wait and see."

"I don't like wait and see."

"You don't have to be there."

"I think it would be worse if I wasn't there."

"Have it your way, stubborn one."

"Not my fault."

"You can change your own attitudes, even if they are as ingrained as your stubbornness."

"The ability to change does not imply a willingness to change."

"You like being stubborn?"

"I prefer to think of it as determined."

* * *

Luke brought Jasmine back to their parent's apartment, and Mara tagged along. Liz was fixing dinner. "Who's there?" she called from the kitchen, peaking out around the corner. "Oh, hi Luke. Are you staying for dinner?" 

He looked at Mara, wondering if they should, but she answered for him. "Yes, Liz. Your brother's lost his tongue, I think. I swear I don't know what's wrong with him today," she headed into the kitchen to help.

_Father, what are you doing?_

_Nothing in particular, why?_

_I need reinforcements._

_You want me to come save your sorry hide from whom exactly?_

_Mara, Liz and Jaz._

_Alright. I suppose I can do that._

_Good. Mara and Liz are cooking. I don't want to get roped in to that. _

Luke saw the parts of a droid strewn across the center of the common area, so he headed over to see what he could do with it, at least until his Father came home. He was halfway through the reconstruction, using the Force, by the time that Anakin walked through the door.

_What kind of droid is this, anyway?_

_I really don't remember. I think there's something that I need to fix before we put it back together, though. _

Luke started to put the pieces back where he'd found them. _Here, this part isn't right. I don't know what's wrong with it, but it's not right. _

_Let me see it._ Luke floated it over to his father.

_Hmmm. I think this must be the problem. _He flipped it over several times in his hands, and then sent it back to Luke. _There, it should work now._

_Alright,_ he said, putting it into place,_ seems to be doing a good job._

"Luke!" Mara screamed, apparently not for the first time, as she was shaking his shoulder, which he hadn't really felt either.

He looked up, "Yes?"

She made a sound of frustration. "If you two will go wash up, you can have dinner."

He laid the half-finished droid onto the table gently with the Force. "Alright."

"You know it doesn't do any good to get mad at them." Liz said. "Once they get involved in something, it's almost impossible to get them out of it until they are finished."

Luke continued to listen to their conversation as he washed his hands. _How did they get so grimy when he hadn't touched many of the parts?_ He scrubbed harder, making sure that he looked clean, even though it seemed to involve taking off layers of skin. He vaguely remembered that Liz was as much of a taskmaster as his Aunt Beru was, despite her being his younger sister.

_Hey, Dad, are Aunt Beru and Uncle Owen still alive?_

_I think so. We can ask your mother._

_Should we?_

_I think she'll figure it out, son, and probably soon. She's a smart woman._

_I know, I just don't know how she'll handle this. She didn't handle finding out the truth about us too well, you know. _

_Don't judge your mother by how she acted when she was fourteen. You weren't a peach at fourteen either. _

_How do you know?_

_No one is at their best during those years, and I'm starting to remember things._

_I wish I could remember more, like Mara._

_I'm sure that you will, son, eventually, and now that we've both scrubbed all the flesh off our hands, we can go eat._

He washed all the soap off his hands, and they did indeed look better. It was at about that point that he realized that both of his hands were, well, _his_. He shrugged it off, deciding to think about it later. Jaedrea had come home, and as he sat down at the table between Jasmine and Mara, Julia came in.

She came over to the table, and Jasmine swept her Padawan braid behind her head, but Julia caught sight of it. "What's that, Jasmine?" she asked.

"Nothing," Jasmine said, looking down.

Julia came over to her sister's side. "It is not nothing, it's a braid."

"It's a practice braid."

"It's got beads in it. How can it be a practice braid?"

"I haven't had my ceremony yet. It's just a practice braid until then, no matter how many beads are in it."

Julia backed off then, and went to her place.

_Master?_

_Yes?_

_When are we going to have my ceremony?_

_I don't know, Little Bit. When did you want to have it? It is, after all, your ceremony. I thought we'd make the announcement tonight, if that's ok with you._

_I don't know if that's such a good idea._

_What do you mean? I know how happy you are about this._

_It's just that Julia, she'll be last._

Luke smiled at that, around his food. _Still worried that she'll take it badly?_

_Yes, Master, all three of us figured I'd be the last one to get chosen for training and I'm used to the idea and it doesn't bother me. Julia on the other hand is SO desperate for a Master; and that has only gotten worse since Uncle Obi-Wan took Jae as his Padawan. With you taking me…I'm afraid she'll think that it's a conspiracy._

_You're really concerned about this, aren't you?_

_Yes, Master._

_She's got a prospective Master, does she not?_

_Master Tiin, yes. You should know that, Luke._

_I've been gone for a while, remember that please. But we can maybe put off having the ceremony if you want for a little while, while Julia and Master Tiin come to an agreement._

_I don't know. I want to go through with my ceremony, but I don't want her to be sad about it, I want her to be happy._

_I think that she'll be happy enough once she gets her braid._

_Yes, she should be. But I don't know how to tell her that I have you now._

_We'll figure something out._

She sent him what he interpreted as a hug. _Thank you, Luke. You're going to be the best Master ever._

_I hope I can live up to your expectations._

He helped clean up the dishes, since he wanted some alone time, but he kept an eye on the triplets. They were playing together with Anakin on his latest project, except for Jasmine, who just watched. He slipped outside, to a large balcony, which actually encompassed not only his parents' apartment, but his and Leia's as well. There was a comfy looking cushion that he plopped down onto so that he could meditate. He sighed as he started to clear his mind, which took longer than normal. In both sets of memories that he carried, he'd had battles with Sith in the last couple of days. In his two lives, he'd battled four Sith, and never had he actually won a battle against any of them. It was discouraging, and he started to work on a new strategy, as he meditated, as well as trying to figure out what he was supposed to be doing with himself.

He stayed there until he felt his father touch his mind, which pulled him out of it. He was surprised to find Jasmine curled up in his lap. "What'cha doing, Little Bit?"

"You needed me, so I'm here," she said sleepily. "Can we go home now?"

"Don't you want to stay in your room?"

"Yes, my room, as your Padawan, in your apartment."

It was clear that he wasn't going to win on that one. "Go get what you need, and we'll go to bed."

"Did you want to start work on the Training Bond tonight?"

"I think you're a little sleepy for that."

"No, I'm not. It's just 'cause you were meditating for so long."

"I've got a lot to work through, fighting the Sith, and with the new baby on the way, and Leia…" she started to look like a lost puppy, and he couldn't stand it. "But I guess adding the Training Bond to my list won't hurt anything."

She grinned, and headed into Skywalker Central.

Luke shook his head, and stood up, looking out over Coruscant, which was at the same time both the most intimidating place he'd ever been to, and the only home he'd ever known, which was strange considering he more clearly remembered being raised on Tatooine, just as his father had been.

"Mom is worried about something." Jasmine told him as she came back.

"What's that?"

"I'm not entirely sure. She came home and got Daddy and they went somewhere."

Luke reviewed some of the memories that he'd been able to access during his meditation; Mom didn't come home, usually, until well after even their father was in bed.

"I'm sure if it's important, they will tell us."

"Celia is usually home by now."

He explored the significance of that statement; she was a Padawan to a Master Healer, so not coming home on time wasn't that unusual. "She's probably just got some last minute work to catch up. She'll be home soon."

"She's been worried about something since lunch, and it's gotten worse all day."

"If she's worried about Mom, if that's why Mom came and got Dad and they left, then we will know it soon enough. If not, she cares a great deal about her patients, and she might have one that's not doing well."

"I think she's worried about Mom."

"Some things, Little Bit, you just have to wait until the proper time to know them." He started walking toward his apartment, and she came with him.

"Put your stuff in your room and we'll get started." He remembered the first steps; it was one of the memories that he'd searched for, then when he found it, he was rather surprised that it had been the same as what he'd done with Yoda on his first day on Dagobah. This was actually something he was familiar with, but it took, apparently, usually a good deal of time, but they were Skywalkers, so he didn't think that it would take too long.

"I'm ready," she said.

"Kneel," he said, indicating the place, as he knelt in front of where he wanted her.

"Now what?" He held his hands out, palms up, and she put hers above his.

"Now we meditate," he said, "and then some other stuff, but that's stuff I do, you don't have to worry about it."

"Ok."

* * *

Leia and Han were in their seats waiting for the show to start. The Jizz band that Han had gotten tickets for was one that Leia had never heard of until she sifted through her new memories; it was slow work but she finally discovered that they were her favorites. She also knew that the seats he'd gotten were really pricey too, especially on an officer's salary, but then she remembered he really didn't have a whole lot to spend his money on. The Temple provided their housing and necessities. She still thought it was sweet of him to go to the trouble of getting them on short notice; it couldn't have been easy to do. She thought about their history together in this new reality and discovered that Chewie still owed a life debt to him. She'd learned that when they had been stranded on Belsavis, which seemed to be the starting point of their relationship. 

_Leia'wa? _Leia heard Master Secura's voice through the bond.

_Master? _Leia responded before she even realized what she was doing.

_Where are you? _Her master asked.

_At a concert, with Han. Is there something wrong? _Leia asked. Han was looking at her; he seemed to know she was talking to someone.

_No, my Padawan. I've just returned home and was letting you know. Let Captain Solo know that Chewbacca conducted himself with bravery and honor. His help was much needed and greatly appreciated. He is looking forward to seeing his 'cub' again. _This was followed by what Leia instinctively interpreted as laughter.

_I'll tell him, Master. He's been worried about the big guy, even if he doesn't admit it._

_Very well, I am in need of rest now, so I will leave you to your husband. I will have to be inventive for your punishment since you are now so far in your pregnancy, although the twins might be punishment enough on their own, should they prove true to the Skywalker name. _Leia groaned reflexively after her master closed the connection.

"What is it?" Han asked, his voice indicating fear that some emergency had come up.

"It's not a disaster, dear," she said as she snuggled into him, "Master Secura is back, finally. She thanks you for letting her borrow Chewie. She also said that he was looking forward to seeing you again."

"Good, I know you were worried about her," Han said as the theater neared its capacity.

"No more than you were worried about Chewie," Leia said and snuggled into Han's chest more firmly, enjoying this quiet moment with him. It seemed that even in this relatively idealized world the quiet times were few and far between.

After the first half of the concert, which Leia enjoyed immensely, since she was in a way hearing it for the first time, and it was just the kind of thing that she liked, Leia was very glad that Han had gotten these tickets. During the Intermission she and Han got some refreshments and Leia asked him how long he would be gone.

"I really don't know. It really depends on how long Master Ki-Adi-Mundi's negotiations take. It's surprising that Eriadu is having has much trouble as it is. It's always been prosperous, yet some sections of the population apparently have decided that they aren't happy and are announcing this with thermite bombs. The local authorities haven't found the culprits and requested Jedi assistance," Han said.

"So you might not be here when the babies come?" Leia said, and it sounded whiney even to herself.

"I intend to be here when they are born, Princess," Han said.

"But you can't control how long this will take. Well, I hope you can fly on very little sleep cause I'm gonna need enough 'fixes' for a month at least," Leia said, not really sure where the term 'fixes' came from, but she soon realized what she was referring to and blushed.

Han for his part just grinned and said," I shall endeavor to please, Jedi Solo."

* * *

Cedric was meditating in the Room of a Thousand Fountains. He'd reported his finding to Master Ti, and she hadn't understood what he was saying. He hadn't particularly expected her to, but his Master had been particularly trying today. He'd only gotten about halfway through his explanation, before she'd told him that she needed him to stop so that she could think through what he was saying. He'd left then, not wanting to bother her while she was thinking. Sometimes if he left her alone, she actually got it. It simply tried his patience when she didn't understand something as quickly as he did. _Maybe that was the point._ The thought hit him. He needed to learn to slow down, and not everyone would always understand what he was saying when he was talking at light speed. He opened his eyes, surprised to see someone looking back at him. 

"Have something to discuss with me do you?"

He gulped. No one saw Master Yoda any more; he kept to himself, since he'd retired from the Council. "Yes, Master. I was speaking with my Master about the trends in political affiliation since the Sith were revealed."

"So she told me. Studying this in the Map room have you been?"

"Yes, Master."

"Then there we will meet your Master. Come along, young Skywalker," he reached in his pocket. "Like sweets, do you still?"

"Yes, Master." Yoda reached his old hand up and slipped something into Cedric's. "Thank you, Master," he unwrapped the sweet, slipping the wrapper into his pocket before popping the candy into his mouth.

They headed up to the Map room, where his Master was waiting for them. "Good afternoon, Master."

"Good afternoon, Padawan. I understand that you think this is important, but maybe I can understand it better if you explain it to me in the way that you are seeing it."

He nodded, nervous suddenly, with the rapt audience of two renowned Jedi Masters. "It doesn't really start until a year, year-and-a-half after the Massacre in the Senate. I figure that it took Darth Maul that long to find _her,_ and recruit her," he started as he brought the program that he'd been using up. "This is the first break, here." He indicated a line.

"Ok, stop." Shaak Ti said. "What do these lines mean?"

"Oh, they are trade lines. I used different colors to represent different things, but they are all trade agreement lines."

"Ok. So this line here," she said, indicating the one he'd pointed out, "represents a trade agreement between the Outer Rim planet here, and one of the Core Worlds?"

"Yes, I can bring up labels if you like, but it can get rather jumbled."

"No, I think the larger picture, as you were trying to explain to me, is what is really important."

"So this trade agreement, which had been in place since, oh, the Force Wars, at least, I think, the Outer Rim World broke it off, starting a bunch of smaller trade agreements to ensure that they still got all the goods that they wanted." He dialed down the intensity on the other lines and advanced the time forward until the event he'd described was shown. "That effectively isolated that planet from the Core, and so Maul headed over here."

"Are you sure that it's the Sith?"

"Yes," the look he leveled at her made her back off of something that was still a very touchy subject for him. "The reports that I've been able to access on Maul's locations at various points in time aren't exactly comprehensive, but he was here," he pointed to the first planet that he felt was the object of a disaster. "And he was there for a good length of time."

"And here?" she asked, pointing out the next planet on his list.

"There aren't any reports of it, but he's not reported to have been elsewhere, either."

She nodded, "Continue."

"About three months after the first major Trade disruption, this Trade Agreement here, dissolves. It's an out-going one, for some metal or another, I don't remember, but one that's used in construction of both starships and droids. This planet had already started to get their incoming trade agreements more locally, long ago, but that put a little crimp in starship production for the Republic, but nothing that was said to them could convince them that they needed to renew the contract. It was fought over in the Senate for weeks until this planet," he pointed at one closer in to the Core, "was found to have massive amounts of that metal on it, and production levels were better than the resource that they'd lost." He advanced the time up to the point where the changes he'd discussed had happened, showing the break of the first agreement, and the beginning of the second.

"I remember that, and thought it was pretty convenient that whoever it was came up with that particular planetary remedy."

"Convenient, yes, but detrimental to the Republic, nonetheless, although they had no idea of the scope of what was starting."

"Ok, I get the basic idea of what you're talking about when you say that the Outer Rims are isolating themselves. How bad is it?"

"Bad." He said, and he let the timeline advance fairly quickly after that, at about three years a minute, and he backed away, letting her watch, and nearly ran into Master Yoda.

"Hard to believe that seen this we have not, youngling," he said, not taking his eyes off the display.

"It's a hard pattern to follow, Master Yoda, intermittent at best, and each of the events seem isolated from the others." It took about ten minutes to finish the cycle.

"So how isolated has the Outer Rim gotten?"

"Here," he waived his hand through a portion of the map, "There are only the most minor of ties. And here," he said, indicating another portion, "and everything else is gone. This whole portion of the galaxy has effectively isolated themselves from the rest of us. It's like a quarter of the galaxy. This could turn really ugly really quickly, Masters. Even the minor agreements aren't for anything necessary, but are for more uncommon things; special grades of cloth, computer chips, rarer metals, but they have those, just not in the quantities that are being shipped out there; food as well, but particular types. Luxury goods, all of it, except the metal and computer chips, which they could find or manufacture for themselves."

It took a few minutes for the gravity of what he was saying to sink in. "Explain this to the Chancellor, we need to." Yoda said to them.

"I'll see if we can arrange it," Master Ti told him.

"Not necessary that is. Tomorrow she would come to speak with me, about other things, added to that this can be."

* * *

Lando watched the first weapons shipments go out to the Techno Union. Even though it had been a full week since Tann had been near him, he found even thinking her name was enough to make him need a cold shower. There was something wrong here, but he couldn't put his finger on it. Then his nose caught a whiff of something familiar, and it brought forth sensations through out his body, causing him to forget his previous train of thought completely. 

"You are very efficient, Baron Administrator," Tann's voice came from behind him. He swallowed steeling himself not to just run over and kiss her when he saw her.

"Thank you, Miss Tann," Lando said. As great as a kisser she apparently was, they went no further than that last time she was here, a fact Lando was grateful for, because if her kiss was that…well…that, what would spending the night with her be like? Lando had doubts he would survive such an encounter, but damn what a way to go. He finally turned and faced her. She was dressed in a deep violet this time, though her dress left very little to the imagination, if anything it accentuated every feature to its utmost. Lando doubted she could be any more desirable naked than she was now. He swallowed again: this was getting out of hand rapidly. He wasn't able to think clearly with her so close, and she moved closer to him still, and her every move sent his heart racing faster.

"I hope you like my dress. I picked it out especially for you. I hoped we could," she paused and traced a finger down his chest once she got inappropriately close, "get to know each other a little better. What would you say to dinner aboard my ship, tonight?"

Lando willed himself to breathe, though each breath sent her scent through him. He needed her, very badly. He felt that if he didn't touch her soon he would explode with the need. He fought to clear his mind, finally he trusted his voice.

"That is very kind of you," Lando began, planning on refusing, but then he felt his mind slipping again into lust and said what Tann wanted to hear, "I accept."

He said it without really thinking, but the smile on Tann's lips was all the reward he needed, then he got a bonus. She leaned over and kissed him, to an observer it would appear chaste, much like their first kiss, however for Lando it was anything but chaste, as she pulled back he desperately wanted more, so much more right then and there, but he then remembered he was a gentleman and gentlemen didn't satisfy their need in public like this.

"I will see you later this evening, then Administrator," Tann turned and walked away every step signaling promises of satisfaction tonight.

* * *

Anakin came home to his family, and Luke was putting a droid together, one that he'd strung around the common room despite Padmé's protests. He went over to his son, remembering vaguely that he hadn't yet fixed whatever was wrong with it. When he told Luke, he found the offending part, and gave it to him to fix, which really didn't take much. They both worked through the droid's parts, getting it ready to work again, when Liz and Mara interrupted them. He didn't even bother getting annoyed, just did as he was told. He was good at that, now. 

When Julia came home, she made a big deal about the braid that Jasmine now sported. He had a strong vision then, of her and Luke on another planet, fighting for their lives. He'd had that vision before, or at least it seemed that way. Dinner was quiet, at least as far as he and Luke were concerned, but the girls talked up a storm, making up for it. He went back to the droid after dinner; that was his meditation. All three of the triplets joined in, for a while at least, and they got the thing up and running. By that point, Jasmine had disappeared, but that apparently wasn't a cause for concern.

"Bed time," Liz said, "go wash up."

"Aw, Daddy, can we stay up a little later?" Jae started.

"I don't think so. You have to be up early in the morning," he answered. The skills needed to be a Sith Lord were disturbingly similar to the ones needed to be a parent. Except compassion, that was reserved for parents.

"What about Jasmine? She's out on the balcony with Luke," Jae continued to complain.

"Luke knows what her bedtime is," Liz told them, and they trudged off to the 'fresher, and got ready for bed.

Anakin knew, of course, that Luke did not, in fact, know what her bedtime was, but he touched both of their minds, and found that the little one was nearly asleep anyway, and Luke was trying to access his memories from when he was first a Padawan.

He dropped into quiet meditation, hoping to do some actual good with it himself, but as he got settled into his quiet space, Jasmine came inside from the balcony, and then Padmé came in.

"I'm going to spend the night at Luke's, Mommy," Jasmine announced.

"Alright, sweetheart," she agreed distractedly. "Anakin, can you come with me?"

"Yes," he said. She was worried, he wasn't sure what about, but time had taught him patience, if nothing else. If she hadn't said anything about it, she probably didn't want the children to know what was going on.

* * *

Mara watched as Luke brought Jasmine back in from the balcony, then they settled into a proper pose for meditation with each other. It was the same one that she'd started her training bond in, not really surprising, considering that both he and her master were trained by the same person. As fascinating as the process had been when she'd gone through it, it was incredibly boring from the outside. After a little while, after she'd decided that it probably wouldn't happen tonight, not unusual, but disappointing, certainly, when Jasmine gasped. 

"I didn't know you were there," she said to him, but it didn't interrupt the bonding.

That surprised Mara, that she could do that; double talk, most people called it. It was more than that, though. Leia could do it, she knew, as well as their Father and she thought that Luke could as well, but she'd never made much of an attempt to find out. It seemed to her that it only seemed to work within the family, yet, that made the family VERY formidable, when they were together. In addition to being able to talk through the bond, as well as carry on a conversation, Leia could carry on a conversation through her bond, and engage in Lightsaber combat; more that that even, though Mara didn't know the details.

When they came out of the relatively short bonding session, it was late enough that everyone needed to be in bed. "What were you talking about?" Mara asked curiously.

"Hmm? Oh, right. Luke was at the Massacre in the Senate. It was really cool."

"Trust me Little Bit, it was anything but cool. A lot of people died that day," Luke admonished his Padawan.

"It was just a few days ago for you. Why was Daddy in black armor?"

"It's a long story, Little Bit, and it's very painful, too," Luke said.

"Oh…you should talk about with Mara, then. If you think I'm not ready to hear the story," Jaz said, disappointed at being left out, but seeming to understand; he remembered that she got left out a lot.

Mara was concerned about the conversation she was hearing. She remembered that one could easily tell whether something true or not. What ever Jaz was picking up, the way she was acting said she believed it.

"What is she talking about Luke?" Mara asked.

He sighed, seeming to be deciding on the best course of action. "Look at my Force Signature," Luke said finally.

Mara did so and was surprised to see it was thicker, brighter and more powerful than she remembered. Yet, it was still Luke's.

"What happened to you Luke?" Mara asked.

"Well, there's the life you know. I think all of that is with me, but I think my mind's protecting me from an overload by slowly letting seep into my mind. If I really need to know something its there, and once I remember it, it's like a normal memory," Luke said.

Tears sprang to Mara's eyes, "So, you don't remember me at all?" Mara asked.

"Sort of. If I concentrate I can, but I've been too busy to really focus on it. I don't remember any of the childhood you do, I don't remember growing up with Liz or even with Mother and Father," Luke said.

"So you don't even remember when Jae, Jul and I were born?" Jaz asked, but she didn't seem as concerned about it as Mara was.

"No, but," he closed his eyes and smiled; "if I concentrate I might dredge up a memory of both of you." It took a couple of seconds then he broke into a grin. "Ah…the first time you looked at me as anything but a nuisance. I had come home for a while and Jaz was just a baby. I was playing with her when you walked in on us. Force, I was a terror as a teenager; there was never time to get into much trouble on the farm with Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru," Luke said.

"So if you think about something, you can remember it?" Mara asked.

"Yeah, but it's more like I'm reliving it. I don't know if its real time or not, of course we don't remember everything about every day of our lives, so average days seem to be reduced down quite a bit," Luke explained.

"Ok, tell me how we first met," Mara said.

Luke closed his eyes and focused, then he began speaking, "It was your first day in the Clan. You were four, and you were the last one. I came up to you and said you were pretty, you said thank you, then I pulled your pigtails and ran off," he laughed at the memory. Mara and Jaz joined in the laughter, and then Luke spoke again looking into her eyes, "As I remember you didn't think it was too funny at the time. I'm surprised I still don't have the bruises from that encounter, my little Firecracker," Luke said, and tears sprang to Mara's eyes.

"What wrong?" Luke asked confused.

"Happy tears, you haven't called me that outside of our bedroom in years, but if you remember that, you might remember everything eventually."

"Of course Luke will remember everything!" Jaz said brightly.

"Come on, we all need our sleep, especially you."

"Especially me?"

"Babies take more out of you than you realize, you need to make sure that you are getting enough rest."


	6. Unexpected News

**AN: Thanks to everyone who reviewed. In reference to a review to Interum, I'm updating "Korriban and Naboo" because I actually intended to include that part...**

**A note on what's going on with Lando: the events that are in the other chapters with him are past events, and in this chapter he's caught up with everyone else, but those are important events, so they get included...Anyway. It's getting to the point where I'm going to start skipping ahead by weeks or months to a chapter, because I, and I'm sure you, want to get into the action!**

* * *

Chapter 5

Sev'rance Tann was getting impatient. _Where was that bounty hunter?_ His father was a legend, but she needed someone young to start the next phase of the plan. The Outer Rim was now economically isolated; it was time to make them politically isolated. That required some key assassinations, starting with those that could fill in for the current Senators, then the Senators themselves, forcing the Outer Rim to rely on inexperienced and inept representation. Then the Outer Rim would feel disenfranchised from the Republic and then they will seek help in gaining their independence. She laughed at the thought of the fools. Calrissian was proving to be an excellent puppet; his strings were taut enough that he didn't need supervision, just a nudge in the right direction. Of course getting him addicted to her was paramount in the plan, and then there was the personal part of her plan. She finally saw him.

"You're late, Fett."

"I'm not your lap dog, Tann. What's the job this time?"

"Simple assassination. The target is Ano Salf. He's the heir to Consolidated Starship Systems."

"And what did he do, come up short one night?" Fett asked with a laugh.

"That, Fett is none of your business," Tann said, she knew her reputation. She was annoyed because it had been a year since she could bring her self to go all the way with a victim. Damn that Skywalker and the way he made her feel. The small part of her mind that belonged to him was wagging an accusatory finger at her. She growled at the unfamiliar feeling of guilt welling up in her. She beat it down.

"Ok, you know how much this will cost, Tann. Have the money ready for me in a week."

"You get your money when I have proof he's dead, Fett. And remember, I want it to look natural."

"Yeah, yeah. You take all the fun out of my job, you know that?"

"I don't care, now leave."

"Short, not so sweet, and to the point. I can deal with that," Fett said and left. Tann went out into the Coruscanti night. She had one more stop to make before she returned to the Outer Rim. She got into the rental and headed to the Jedi Temple. It had been a year since she had seen him. She knew it was a weakness; one that she would have to purge herself of soon, but for now, she indulged in it.

He was awake; she had known that he would be, and she watched him watching the night. His thoughts were a jumble and she couldn't pin down one thought. There were still hours before sunrise over Galactic City and she watched him. The small part of her that she'd been battling since that fateful day fought for control. Control to rush down there and tell him she was renouncing the Dark Side for good; however that small bit of her was quickly suppressed for even suggesting that she give up the power that her Master had taught her. She watched him for half an hour before she heard in her head, _I know you are watching me; come on down. We need to talk._

_Is that wise, Skywalker? _

_No, I'm smart, not wise. Of course having you come down probably isn't so smart either, so maybe I'm not that either._

Tann chuckled to herself at his self-depreciating humor, and did a graceful flip down to the balcony.

"You wanted to talk, Skywalker, so talk, or we could go to something more fun," her mouth formed a wicked grin at that last. She made no move to touch him. Somewhere deep inside, she felt restrained by the small part, the part that wanted to tell him that she didn't care about the dark side.

"You should know me better than that Tann, after last year."

"It's Sev'rance, to you, my love," Tann said, irritated and hurt that he wasn't using her first name, and her irritation was enough to loosen the restraint on her body, and she took his hand.

"I can't call you that and you know it. You also know the reason why," the disappointment in his voice tore at her insides, but she didn't understand why it did so.

"Let me see your face."

"I thought you hated the Light," he said quietly, making no move to comply with her wishes.

"Don't make the mistake of thinking my love for you will spare you from my anger," Tann said, getting frustrated. She wanted to rip his clothes off and have her way with him right then. The only thing that stopped her from attempting to rape him was her desire for him to want her the way she wanted him. He had been the first male EVER to say no to her since she learned of this aspect of the Dark Side and she loved the challenge he represented. At least that was what she told herself.

"I hold no such illusions. The only illusion I hold to is the one where you renounce the Sith and I don't think that will remain an illusion. I hope not anyway. I want us to be able to stand together in the Light." He finally stepped out of the shadow that he'd hidden in. He'd grown more handsome in the last year, if that was possible.

"Or we could steal ourselves away in the dark. Think of it Skywalker, no rules at all, just you, me and our passion," she made a feeble attempt to inflame his passions.

"I told you once, there is no passion, there is serenity," he said, not allowing her to do as she wanted.

Tann rolled her eyes, "Are you going to throw that at me every time I try to get you out of your clothes?"

"Until you see reason and we are properly married, yes, and I might do it once or twice in jest after that," he said with a small smile, but his posture practically exuded serenity.

How could he maintain that calm exterior? She could feel his desire for her, his heart was racing; she relished the effect her presence was having on him. "Why do fight so hard to deny your body what it wants?"

"Because my body doesn't always know what is best for me."

"So do you not eat when hungry?" she teased.

"Yes I do, but I don't do so like a ravenous rancor. We have our minds for a reason, and that is to subject the whims of the body to a course that is in our own best interests. So tell me, Tann, when are you going to start thinking about what is best for you instead of what feels good all the time?"

"What feels good to me IS what is best for me," she said, but the small part of her that he'd claimed grew stronger.

"Then why have you not raped me yet? Like you tried to do last year? You know you can overpower me; what is holding you back?" he asked, coming close to her, right up in her face.

Tann started to answer, but then closed her mouth.

"That's what I thought," he sighed. "You'd better go; I need to at least attempt to get some sleep. Master Ti always knows when I haven't had a good night's rest."

Tann was tempted to go ahead and try it, but instead she, for reasons she herself couldn't fathom, just jumped back up to her rental and flew off, but as she made one last pass over the balcony, she swore she saw the form of Cedric Skywalker, her love, bent over crying.

* * *

Luke woke to Jasmine's touch on his arm. He got up, following her out to the common room, and sat down on the sofa. He glanced out the window. It wasn't even dawn yet. "What'cha wanting, Little Bit?" 

"Something's wrong with Cedric."

"Ok," he said, pulling her onto his lap. "What do you want me to do about it?"

"He's mixed up inside. He's been like this since he got back from Berma Pleaix, sometimes it's worse, sometimes it's better. Today he's so loud about it that it woke me up."

"That was a year ago, Jaz. Why haven't you mentioned this before now?" concern coloring his voice.

"'Cause, I get overlooked at lot of the time. I'm the littlest and not very loud in a loud family," Jaz said, just like she was talking about water being wet.

"Jaz, someone would've listened to you. Everyone loves you."

"I know everyone loves me, but loving me and not getting lost in the shuffle isn't the same thing. You wouldn't understand 'cause you're the oldest."

"I'm sorry we made you feel that way."

"There's nothing to apologize for. I don't worry about it too much. I know things will work out most of the time. But Cedric, he's heading for a crossroads and right now he's lost."

"And you want me to talk to him?"

"He'll feel better if you do."

"How do you know this?"

She shrugged. "I know things sometimes. Jae never listens to me when I tell her that she's got a bad idea."

"She ends up in trouble a lot when she doesn't listen to you, doesn't she?"

"Yeah."

"Then she knew the consequences of her actions and accepted them. You have to learn to let people make their own decisions."

"I don't like to see her in trouble."

"If you warn her that she will get into trouble if she continues a particular course of action and she does it anyway, she must want to do what she's doing more than she cares about whatever punishment she receives."

"Why would she do that?"

"I don't know; maybe you could ask her."

"Will you go talk to Cedric?"

"Sure," he said, scooting her off of his lap, and getting up, going to the balcony, where he could feel the waves of distress coming off the boy. She was right; he was being loud. "Hey little brother, what gives?"

"Oh, hi Luke."

"So what's with the heartbreak?"

"I don't want to talk about it," he said, looking out over Coruscant in the pre-dawn.

"I can understand that, but you need to talk to someone about it," Luke said as he settled into a chair nearby.

"You wouldn't understand."

"I think I would probably understand better than you are giving me credit for."

Cedric sighed, "Have you ever loved someone who you knew was a bad person?"

The question took Luke by surprise, but he could handle this one. "I have. I cared for someone very deeply who had long ago given themselves to the Dark Side."

"What happened to them?" Cedric asked, his curiosity obviously piqued.

"We fought a couple of times, but there was a connection that I had with that person. I used their love for me to pull them back to the light."

"So it is possible to bring someone back from the dark side?" he asked as the sun peeked up over the landscape.

"It is possible to give them the opportunity to change, the support. But they have to want to change, Cedric. That's the hardest part, knowing when the time when they want to change, without regard to the consequences of denying the dark side."

"What can happen?"

"Imagine you've been in a dark room for a few hours, how does it feel to come out of that room into the light?"

"It hurts, until your eyes adjust. What does this have to do with the Dark Side of the Force?"

Luke sighed, and it came to him that his brother never handled analogies well; he wondered how Cedric managed to deal with Master Yoda. Luke sighed, then said, "Everything. Now imagine you've been in that dark room not for just a few hours, but years and you try to come out one day and that pain hits right away, hard, and even a sheltered, deeply shadowed area is painful, any light at all is painful. That pain can be enough to kill."

"I think I understand. So did the person that you brought back die?"

"No, but it was a close thing. They were on the edge of death for days, after. Only being so close to the Temple saved them."

"Oh."

"Was there something that you wanted to talk about? Someone in particular, that needs saving?"

"I don't know," he said, and the turmoil came on in full force.

"You don't know if saying it out loud will make it more real?"

"Yeah."

"I felt that way once. It helps to air everything out, even if nothing gets resolved by the sharing, it is shared then, and the burden is less because of that."

He nodded, understanding the wisdom in that. "On Berma Pleaix, I met someone."

"Someone special?"

"I suppose you could say that. She isn't a good person. She's actually a very bad person. But something happened, something weird."

"And it made you change your opinion of her?"

"Yeah. We got inside each other's head, like a training bond, or something, but it was an accident, I don't think she even intended it to happen."

"And so you know what made her who she was, and who she is, and that makes you sympathetic for her?"

"Yeah. She's not the person that she's supposed to be."

"A lot of people end up that way."

"Why, though?"

"Lots of reasons. The galaxy is far from perfect, and so some people don't make the choices that they should. The hardest path is the best one. Doing what is right is sometimes the hardest thing to do."

"Why is it so hard?"

"Because the reward at the end is so much sweeter because of the struggle to get to the top."

"I don't know what to do, Luke."

"You have to start by asking yourself if the person that is in trouble wants to change; if not, no matter how many times you throw your hand out to them, they won't take it."

"If they want to change, then what?"

"Explain what they are doing wrong, and tell them that you forgive them; it takes a lot of work to bring someone back from the dark side."

"Is it worth it to bring someone back?"

"It is always worth it. But the hardest thing is to accept that if they don't want to change, nothing that you can say or do will make them change."

"Alright. Thank you, Luke, just when did you get so smart anyway?"

"Who, me, smart? I'm just parroting Master Yoda," Luke said with a grin.

* * *

Padmé woke up rather early, before even Anakin woke up. Still sleepy, she snuggled up against him, and he woke up, looking at her with amazement in his eyes. "What are we going to do?" 

"About what?"

The look that he gave her told her that she knew exactly what. She looked down, "I don't know, but really is there any decision to be made?"

"Decision?" He looked at her incredulously, "No, no decisions. Accommodations, preparations, but no decisions."

"So, what are we going to do?"

"I asked first."

"You aren't playing fair."

"Since when do I have to play fair?"

"Since I said so."

"That is not really fair, Madame Chancellor."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because, your word is law."

She made a sound that was suspiciously close to a snort. "If only that worked in the Senate."

"It works in this room."

"I don't need this right now, Anakin."

"It's going to be tough, Angel, but if the Force wills that this happens, then we must trust that it is for the best."

"Bail Organa is not going to be a happy man." He tensed oddly at the name, but she brushed it off.

"Why's that?"

"I'm going to shove a bunch of work off onto him. He makes a good second."

"He's a good man," the comment was rather odd. He hadn't really ever gotten to know Bail. He was right, but…

She looked at him, scrutinizing him. "What's wrong with you?"

He looked confused, but there was an under-riding tension that didn't sit well with her. "I don't think that there's anything wrong with me, Padmé."

"Something's off with you. I demand to know what."

He closed his eyes, "I'm not sure you want to hear it, my love."

"Ha. I'm right, there's something wrong with you."

"I wouldn't exactly say there's anything wrong with me…but, Force, how do I explain this?" he ran his hand through his hair as he asked himself, searching inside himself for the answer. "Does the name Darth Vader mean anything to you?" he asked finally.

She knew that she'd paled considerably, because he started to look concerned, "Yes," she whispered.

"It shouldn't. He never existed. He's only a dead and gone memory," he said with vehemence.

"The twins, too?"

"Yeah. We are working through our…new memories."

"So you've got an idea of what's going on?"

"Vaguely. I have the memories that I need, when I need them."

"So this will almost be like the first time for you again, won't it?"

"I hadn't thought about it that way, but yes, it will," he seemed lost in thought for a moment. "I can't believe that the twins thought that painting the Council Chambers green would be a good idea."

"They are your children."

"Hmm. As I recall, I was never the one to ask for any of the children."

"Did Jasmine have a Padawan braid last night, or was I imagining that?"

"She did. Julia made a big deal out of it, but Jaz told her that it was a 'practice braid.'"

"She's playing diplomat again. So who's her Master?"

"How should I know? She didn't say anything about it last night."

"Didn't you go to the Council meeting?"

"Am I on the Council?"

"Yes, silly."

"No, I had prospective parents all day yesterday, so I wasn't expected to do anything else anyway. Maybe Luke knows."

"Are you going to ask him?"

"Yeah, give me a second." _Luke?_

_Yes,_ the reply came almost immediately.

_Good I didn't wake you. Who is Jasmine's Master going to be?_

_I am._

Anakin was silent for a few minutes, absorbing the information, and the ramifications that the Force showed him of that decision. _Ok. Your mother wanted to know._

_No problem Dad._

He recounted his conversation for her. She was stunned, because he hadn't said anything about the visions that had apparently prompted his agreement the last time that she'd asked for him to agree to a child, which turned out to be three. "Do you do that much?"

He thought about it for a while. "I don't think I do normally, but I have been lately. I believe that most people dislike it when we can, well, talk over someone's head."

"So what's on your agenda today?"

He took some time answering again, but she'd asked for trivia that wasn't precisely important in the grand scheme of things. "Council meeting, and training with Ash after he gets out of class."

"Good. He seemed a little lost yesterday when Qui-Gon dragged you off to Force-only-knew-where."

"I probably should have had him with me, but I feel better prepared to deal with him today."

"Is Jasmine going to move into her Master's Quarters?"

"If you object strongly, I think you could force her to stay here, but I believe that that is her intention."

"I think I have bigger problems to deal with right now than where our youngest daughter spends the night. Can I ask what got you riled up when I asked about Bail?"

He looked chagrined. "I didn't exactly have a good relationship with him, then I watched Tarkin blow up Alderaan, with him on it, in front of his daughter."

"Princess Winter?"

"No, Princess Leia, though at the time I didn't know either of our children had survived Mustafar," Anakin said.

"That amazes me," she said.

"What?"

"That you can talk about it so matter-of-factly."

He shrugged in response to that. "Just how much do you know about the previous history?"

"Luke gave me a rough outline of how things went originally, when we were stranded on Tatooine, just before you won the Pod Race. It was when I found out he was my son," she said, "and I talk to Master Yoda about once a week. We've talked about it, too, when there isn't too much other pressing business."

"Oh…so you know pretty much everything then?"

"As much as Luke knew at the time, but he didn't go into much detail, and neither does Yoda, but I do know that Palpatine used your love for me to twist your anxiety into fear and that fear turned into something very dangerous. Our son is very wise now. I think his experiences in the other history forced him to mature faster than he did with us."

"War does that. He was only 18 or nineteen when he destroyed the first Death Star."

"So were you jealous?" Padmé asked changing the subject again. The blush crept back onto his cheeks.

"I didn't find out she was our daughter until about 3 weeks ago."

"Three weeks ago…oh, yeah, the Massacre at the Senate was just the other day for you…oh dear, Luke doesn't know who Mara is, does he?" Padmé asked.

"No, not the way you mean. They were practically raised together with Obi-Wan taking her as his Padawan, and Luke's memories of his childhood are different," Anakin said.

"He was raised on Tatooine, until Owen and Beru were killed and he went with Obi-Wan."

"I thought he had Tatooine skin, it was hard to tell in the suit. Nothing but red, red and oh look, more red," Anakin said.

"Red?" Padmé asked.

"Yes, the mask had screens inside that projected the outside world to me and it was all gradients of red, not real color. Palpatine's fashion sense was just another lie. Everything he decorated with after he came to power was black, black and just to be different, black. Of course, I didn't see it as true black, but I heard enough complaints about it, indeed many of them came from Leia after she was elected to the Imperial Senate."

"She was in the Imperial Senate?"

"Yes, she was also a top leader in the Rebellion. Bail raised her right," Anakin said, the last holding a tone of bitterness.

"You are jealous," she accused.

"I'll get over it, since I will be able to remember raising Leia myself, and he won't."

"How long do you think it will take you to adjust?"

"Oh, I think we'll be settled in pretty well in the next couple of days."

"Good."

"Are you ready to get up?" he asked in response to a shrieking noise outside their door.

"I suppose."

* * *

Leia didn't want Han to leave. She was awake at dawn, her Jedi senses acutely aware that everyone else was waking as well. That was going to be the hardest part, the total change that her role in life would be. She drifted, half-conscious, letting the Force flow through her, which on one hand was comforting and familiar, and on the other was new, fascinating and slightly disturbing. 

_Leia'wa?_

_Yes, Master?_

_I am going to consult with Obi-Wan on what your punishment will be then I need to see you later today._

She let a sigh out, but didn't send it through the bond, _Yes, Master._

_I will be happy to see you, my Padawan. It is very unusual for a team to be separated for as long as we have been._

_Nine months, yes Master, it's been awful._

_Even with Captain Solo there through it all with you?_

_He's not you._

_I would hope not. _

_He's going away today, with Master Mundi._

_So close to the twins being born?_

_There's not really anyone else to send, and you know how picky Master Tiin and Dad are about the pilots that they let ferry the Jedi around._

_True enough, although I think that their expectations for pilots are astronomically high._

_I can understand, though. It's not like ferrying Jedi around is a cushy job even though the pilots who don't do it think that it is, you're more likely to get shot at than just about anyone else in the galaxy._

_I know; I wish it wasn't that way anymore._

She shrieked as Han grabbed her sides, tickling her, and her surprise was such that both got sent through the bond. _I think I'd better leave you alone so that you can concentrate on your husband, since he's demanding your attention._

_Thank you, Master. I will see you when you are done with your meeting with Obi-Wan._

"What was that for?"

"Because I can, and I won't be able to for a month at least."

"That's not fair," she complained.

"All's fair in love and war."

* * *

Anakin watched as his family gathered on the way to breakfast, which still included everyone, at least today it would. His daughter's husband was leaving today. Something tickled at the back of his mind about the situation, but he ignored it. If it was important he could figure it out later; it wasn't _that_ important, or he would have known right away what it was. He watched Liz slip away for a few moments, coming back with a young man with a haircut that screamed that he'd taken his trials within the last couple of weeks. It looked like they were trying to look like they weren't together, which only made it all the more obvious that they were together. 

He whispered into Padmé's ear, "Who's the knight over there?"

She looked at him for moment like he'd lost his mind. She apparently wasn't prepared to answer questions about simple things this morning. "That's Fin. You were there when he was born. He's Obi-Wan's youngest."

"Oh." He thought through what she said, and the memories associated with the events she'd talked about came through to him. "Why does it seem like they are together?"

She seemed startled by the question. "I don't think that I've noticed that before."

"I don't think that I have either."

"She has plenty of examples of the proper way to go about a relationship, and she is eighteen."

"I'll leave them alone, if that's what you think is best."

"Good. If you want to talk to Obi-Wan about it, that's up to you."

"I don't think that I need to."

They entered the dining hall, where Qui-Gon and a couple of others waited for the main group, and breakfast started, and small talk.

After most everyone was finished, Luke stood up and announced that he'd taken on a Padawan. Anakin had seen him take Julia aside fairly early that morning, and the two of them had talked for quite a while. Then it was his turn, and he wasn't sure what he wanted to say, but he trusted the Force, that he would find words that wouldn't embarrass them. "Padmé and I got some very unexpected news last night, and we want you all to share in the joy that we feel because of that." He paused, not knowing exactly how he wanted to express the particular news.

"Out with it, Master, we haven't got all day for you to decide on how you want to phrase things," said a younger man from across the table. He was flanked on either side by what Anakin could only assume were his children.

"I will take my time as I please to do so, J. K," he said without thinking, "but it was quite a shock to find that I am going to be a father again."

The table erupted into discussion, finding the news as shocking as Anakin had. He settled back into his chair, and it wasn't long until they started to wander off, congratulations coming from everyone, and comments about Skywalker genes, and speculation about the gender of the baby, until they were actually the only ones left.

"Don't you have some meeting to go to at the Senate?"

"No, I don't go to the Senate until after lunch. I have a meeting with Master Yoda, but he asked that I come to the Map Room instead."

"Odd. I believe that the Council has moved their meeting to the Map Room, as of sometime last night. Maybe we should get going."

"Alright."

* * *

Cedric was a bit nervous. He'd stayed in his room in Shaak Ti's quarters, instead of going home, knowing that the conversation that he'd had with her would stir up memories about _her._ He didn't like to sleep at home if he knew he was going to be having bad dreams. He'd spent practically the whole first three months back from Berma Pleaix there, so that he didn't have to talk about what had happened. His Master encouraged him to talk about it, but he hadn't wanted to say anything to anyone. When he'd woken, sweaty from the nightmare that he remembered vividly even though it had been hours, he knew that he wouldn't be going back to sleep, so he'd gone home, preferring the eastern balcony at his parent's than the south one of his Master's. _She_ had come to see him. She was different, conflicted now. He didn't quite know what to think about that. 

Then Luke had come out, and insisted that he talk about it. Surprisingly, he'd been very understanding. Something about Luke had changed in the last few months, and it was doing his brother some good. Maybe it was becoming a father, and having a Padawan; maybe he'd had some encounters tracking the Sith down; what had prompted the change wasn't important, but he'd talked about the things that Cedric didn't understand precisely, someone that he'd turned back from the dark side. Not that he necessarily knew everything about his brother, but he hadn't known that.

His parents were the last two in; he knew that several meetings had been shifted around because Master Yoda wanted him to present this to the Chancellor, and to the Jedi Council, so that he wouldn't have to go through it more than once.

Once everyone was settled and quiet, he came out of his shadowed corner, preparing the presentation, and he made it go, but very slowly, starting from forty years ago.

"As all of you are probably aware, there have been more than the usual number of trade disputes, interruptions in longstanding trade agreements, and other trading issues with the outer rim. I am here to tell you why."

He launched into an explanation as to why each system was breaking their ties with the core of the Republic; once he was finished, and the presentation had rolled to the present, the silence that filled the room was huge. He used only evidence from other Jedi. He'd been putting the whole puzzle together for nearly a year. Everything went well; and he was prepared to answer most any question.

"How do we know that this is why the agreements broke?"

"The evidence is that the Sith were actually reported on about half of the planets so affected, and the times that they should have been in various locations, we have no reports for them."

More questions came at him, and he answered them, sometimes backing up the timeline so that he could make the appropriate indications, sometimes just answering them outright. It took four hours before everyone was satisfied.

Once everyone had filed out, his Master caught up with him. "I detect a change in you, Padawan."

"I had a talk with Luke."

"And what did Luke have to say?"

"Lots of stuff. I was surprised at what he said."

"Such as?"

"Did you know that he turned someone back from the Dark Side?"

"Hmm. I was aware of that; did he happen to mention who?"

"No."

"That's probably just as well."

"So then it is possible?"

"You will have to ask Luke for the details on that one, Padawan. I have never attempted such a thing, nor do I ever intend to."

"He said that the first step is that they must want to come back."

"I don't doubt that it is a necessary component. You cannot force someone to take up the cause for righteousness."

* * *

Lobot entered Lando's office. He stood there until Lando acknowledged him, "Sorry about that, Lobot. Just had to finish up that last bit there." 

"I understand completely, sir. There is a matter I wanted to discuss with you though before I give you my report."

"Of course, what is it?"

"It involves the business transaction you've entered into with Ms. Tann, while it is extremely lucrative, there are some items that, while I have no moral objection to, your past behavior indicate you would."

"Such as?" Lando said, leaning back. Lobot not objecting morally to it didn't surprise him. The cyborg had his conscience removed when the implants had been put in. Lando thought a small bit of it remained, since the cyborg never was violent and always polite. However it was interesting that Lobot chose this moment to mention this, as there was something lurking in the back of his head that he thought was about her and their arrangement. It had been nearly a month since he had seen the woman. He realized with a start that he was able to think about her now without needing to either take a cold shower or relieve himself in a less dignified way. What that meant he wasn't sure.

"Well, it seems that a number of her contracts have gone to the Hutts who have paid her in many illicit goods. Narcotics, spice, even slaves. Ms. Tann then sells these assets to Black Sun who distribute them through the galaxy. As I said I cannot feel outrage at this anymore, but I believe you would," Lobot said.

"You thought right, I'll have a talk with her when she gets back, Lobot," Lando said, his blood boiling, while not a unusual occurrence when he thought about Tann, it was unique that it was rage instead of lust causing it to boil now.


	7. Talk about the future

**AN: Thanks to everyone who reviewed. The Cedric/Tann issue certainly is interesting, and will be a major point of development. The Lando/Tann thing, well, that's something else.**

**mlgm: Leia is still a Padawan. This is why she is being punished. She's only 23, and Obi-Wan was a Padawan until he was 25, so I don't find it particularly out of character. The punishment isn't really for her, anyway, it's for the upcoming generation of Initaites and Padawans who might think of breaking that rule. Her punishment is really trying to figure out how to raise twins and still complete her training. **

**ennui de Morte: Glad that you're liking it. Ben is at least 20 years off into the future, and I'm not displacing him from time. Besides, this one is a girl.**

**SLHM: I'm glad that you liked my analogy, but alas I cannot take full credit for it, Yoda actually threw that one in for me.**

**DanaeMariSkywalker: It will probably be a boy, but I haven't entirely decided, so I haven't tied myself down to it one way or the other. Or the other way.**

* * *

Chapter 6

It wasn't really difficult to get the Padawaning Ceremony set up; it was more work, actually to get everyone's schedules arranged for the party that Padmé insisted that they have afterward. He remembered that she'd done that with each of them, so even though both Luke and Jaz were not particularly happy with the affair, he did convince her to humor their mother.

"Trust me, Padawan; diplomacy is the better route in this case," he said, a data pad forgotten in his hand as he sat in the common room of their combined quarters, which was going to be somewhat smaller as they got ready for the baby.

"I don't want to be the center of attention, Master."

"I know, but it's only for a couple of hours, then you get to come home." She pouted. It was probably the most adorable thing that Luke had seen from her yet. She was constantly full of surprises for him. "Be careful, your face might get stuck like that."

"No it won't. You're full of Bantha poodoo."

"Still, don't make faces. It's unbecoming of a Jedi, even one so lowly as a Padawan who hasn't even gone through their ceremony yet."

"Yes, Master."

"So, are you ready?" he asked as she curled up next to him on the sofa.

"I suppose. It's not something that I can get out of."

"No, I meant the Ceremony."

"Oh. Yes, Master, I don't think I could be more ready."

"Good. I'd hate to think that you were going to be unhappy as a Padawan."

"I don't think it would be possible, considering I have to have the best Master in the Temple."

He ignored her. "After your ceremony, I'm headed for the Temple ruins on Bothawui. It's so old that no one really remembers that it's there, but with the expansion of the Jedi, there need to be places that are not on Coruscant."

"Decentralization?"

"That's a big word for someone so little."

"But that's what you're doing, right?"

"Yeah, that's what we're doing. Did you want to come along? It'll probably be boring enough."

"That I don't get into trouble?"

"That's kind of the plan."

"Yes, it would be good to go away, just the two of us."

"And Mara."

"And Mara," she agreed.

* * *

Padmé schedule included, for once, something that she needed: a meeting with Bail Organa. Unfortunately, her stomach chose to rebel just before he walked in. "I thought that we would be discussing the strategy on what we were going to do about the Trade Federation's punishment, but I'm guessing that there are other things we need to discuss," Bail said as she came out of the 'fresher. 

"I believe that you can handle the bill that you are talking about, without my input. We've worked on enough things together for you to know what needs done," she said as she walked over to her desk.

"So, what's going on?"

"I'm pregnant."

"Oh. That's unexpected."

"You're telling me."

"Are congratulations in order?"

"After the triplets? Are you kidding?"

"You have my sympathy, then."

She chuckled. "Thank you, Bail. You've been a good friend these many years."

"Thank you."

"I am going to need you to take over the Chancellorship while I deal with this."

"How long do you expect that to be?"

"I'm not sure. With the triplets, it was nearly six months that I was out."

"I remember. That was really ill timed, with your absence being so long."

"I wasn't expecting to have that much of a problem, but sometimes these things happen."

"And always to the Skywalker clan."

"I think so. I would swear that the galaxy revolved around what Anakin Skywalker had for breakfast this morning, if there wasn't proof otherwise."

"It's probably more true than you realize, but not in the literal sense."

"He is still the Media's favorite Poster Boy. I wish that we could go out and have dinner once in a while without the entire city descending upon us."

"He is the face of the Temple, and you are the face of the Senate. Both of you are very photogenic, and very much in love. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that it makes good press to plaster your images on the front page of every Holonet news service out there."

"I'd rather lead a more discreet life, no, wait, that's a lie. If I wanted a discreet life I would've never gone into politics. I just wish that I could go to dinner with my husband without the entire galaxy wanting to know about it."

"I know, Padmé, but it doesn't seem to be in your destiny."

"So, can I count on you to ensure that the Senate survives without me?"

"I think I can manage," he conceded.

"I can send you some Jedi with negotiating experience if you need them."

"Really? Do you control the Temple now, too?" he teased.

"No, they owe me favors, and no one wants to deal with a cranky pregnant woman."

"What about this talk of assigning a Jedi to the Senate on a permanent basis?"

"I haven't talked to Ani about it since he got back from…" she looked down, not wanting to talk about how scared she had been when Leia had been missing for three months.

"Oh. It was only her that was at all interested in the position anyway, was it not?"

"Unless you count Cedric, who is thirteen, yes."

"Well, at least two of your children are interested in the same things you are."

"Oh, most of them are interested, but not to the extent of abandoning their Jedi Training. An interest in Politics doesn't come early enough to fend off an interest in pretty blue Lightsabers."

"Too true. So how is Leia?"

She took her time in answering, knowing from talking with Anakin that he would have adopted her, had life gone differently. "She's not too bad. The twins are giving her bruises, I think, but she's dealing."

"Not too much longer, though, now, is it?"

"No. A few weeks at the most."

"So when are we talking for your leaving the Senate in my hands?"

"Starting now, but slowly. I'm not allowed to become stressed, and I'm not allowed to work myself to death," she said, wrinkling her nose.

"Whose orders, the healers or the husband?"

"Healer's actually. Anakin hasn't said anything, although he gives me these looks."

"Looks?"

"You know. He wishes that I would just stay home for this one, especially since I'm so old, but he's not going to say anything because he knows that the fate of the Galaxy depends on the things that are going on in the Senate."

Bail smiled, knowing the look that she was talking about. "So you are leaving a lot of the running of the Senate to me?"

"Yes, starting now. I think we can have consultations on probably a daily basis, but the actual meetings are going to be yours for the most part."

"I can do that. Maybe I'll take some of that Jedi assistance as well."

"I'll see what I can arrange. Senators don't like Jedi involved in the Senate; they think that the Jedi are too pure for them."

"I doubt that the Jedi enjoy being here either. Most of them seem to think that politics is to dirty to meddle in."

"You are probably right, but I have little choice. You and Mon Mothma, and Ral'Rai Muvunc are the only ones that I trust in the Senate, not to do something stupid at the wrong time."

"The only reason that you trust Ral'Rai is because he can finesse his way around bureaucracy better than anyone else in the Senate, and he does what you tell him, because he still thinks that he can get down your pants at some point."

The red blush on her cheeks made her feel like she was fourteen again. "I didn't know that about him."

"I apologize for being so blunt, Madame Chancellor."

She waived it off, "It's fine, I just hadn't realized. I mean, I've been married for twenty-six years now, and am getting ready for my ninth child. I don't think that way any more. And you think that the Clan would be enough to scare anyone off."

"You are still as absolutely, incredibly, breathtakingly beautiful as the day that I first met you, but by that time both of us were married, so it didn't matter."

"Thank you, Bail. It's nice to know that the years haven't been too cruel."

"Doesn't your husband do that for you?"

She laughed. "I think that when he looks at me, I'm still fourteen to him, and always will be."

"Ah, yes. The innocence of youthful love."

* * *

Leia hugged and kissed Han one last time before he boarded the _Falcon _with Master Mundi. Chewie was telling Han something, Leia understood a little Shyriiwook, but not enough to follow what all he was telling Han. Knowing Chewie it was a list of things NOT to do. Chewie wasn't happy about not going with Han, but he knew that the task Master Secura had for him was of near equal importance. Even at that it took no less than Master Yoda to get him to do it. Just what he was staying for, Leia didn't know yet, but she figured it would have something to do with her punishment. Based on what happened to her Father, she didn't want to think about what Master Secura might have planned. Chewie's personal hygiene was at perfect Wookie standards, which were just as high as human standards; however human's didn't have full body hair to care for either. Leia sighed as Chewie came over and stood next to her and they both watched the _Falcon _take off. 

'Cub-mate.'

"Yes, Chewie?" She'd learned his new term for her, at least.

'Come.' She heard, and he said more than that, but she didn't understand.

"I'm coming. I have no idea what for, but I'm coming."

'Cub should teach you better.' He said, more slowly, knowing that it made it easier for her.

"A lot's been going on."

'No excuse from him.'

"Hey, I'm working on it. It's not like it's easy to learn."

'Shyriiwook is hard on purpose.'

"Now you tell me."

'Nothing easy is worth doing.'

"I somehow doubt that."

'You and Cub, not easy. Worth it?'

"Every minute."

'You may not continue to think so after this.'

"I doubt it. I don't think that anything could be worse than some of what I've already been through."

'Your choice, to bring cubs into the world.'

"I know. I don't regret it though. I almost felt like we would have been stuck on that ice ball until we caved."

'The Will of the Force cannot be denied.'

"That's what I keep telling myself."

'Your punishment will be useful, at least, as your Father's was.'

"It's not really going to start until Han gets back, is it?"

'No, Cub-mate, it will not. But you must ready yourself.'

* * *

Luke woke up. There was no apparent reason for it; Mara was still, and Jaz wasn't there. Then he felt the roiling turmoil that was Cedric. _Oh, that._ He checked his bond with Jasmine, but she was sleeping, albeit restlessly. He threw shields up around her, and got out of bed to go talk to his brother. He pulled a shirt on, and headed out for the balcony. 

"Do you want to talk about it?" Luke asked as he settled into one of the chairs.

"Sorry to wake you," Cedric said, not having really heard the question.

"Let's talk." Luke said, not really in the mood to mess with the boy's wavering back and forth about whether or not to talk about it.

"So you talk to them, right, and try to make them see reason?"

"Not exactly. You have to make it so that the price that they would pay to remain in the dark is higher than they want to pay."

"Price?"

"Emotional, physical, it doesn't matter really. What matters is that what they get in the process of redemption is of greater value to them than what they are giving up by not staying."

"I'm not sure that I understand."

Luke sighed. Cedric really needed to learn to understand abstract concepts better. "Let's say that your friend comes to visit you." Cedric nodded, but in the pre-dawn darkness, he couldn't make an expression out, but the spike of fear told him that she had done so, at least once, but Luke didn't want to make a big deal about it, so he ignored it. "And she can do any number of things, including try to kill you. If she tries to kill you, that will drive her deeper into the dark side, give her more power. If she does nothing to you, it drives her toward the light side, making her somewhat less powerful."

"Ok," he said, but his tone said that he clearly didn't understand where Luke was going.

"Doing nothing to you has its benefits, though, because it makes her feel better, or she can become more emotionally attached, or whatever the bond that has formed between the two of you drives her to do. Trying to kill you causes harm to that bond, and could potentially break it."

"Oh. So it's like you have a choice."

"Yes, but most people don't think it out at all. So the question is, does she value power, or the relationship that she has with you more?"

"Is it really that either/or?"

"No, but those are probably the main points of her conflict."

"Either choose light or dark; love or hate?"

"It's like that for the small victories."

The sun started to peek over the horizon line, making the shadows fade, and bringing an end to the night. "What about the big one?"

"They must do something against their own self-interest, something for you."

"A big something?"

"It helps." Luke said, thinking about how big the 'something' that their father had done was.

"Like what?"

"Place themselves in harm's way to prevent you from harm."

"Like taking a blaster shot for someone?"

"That's it exactly."

* * *

Lando walked to the landing platform. Since Lobot's first revelation of what Tann was up to, Lando had done some more digging and each new datum he found increased his rage. It was clear to him that she was arming up the entire Outer Rim. For what he didn't know, but he did know that she'd already put out enough military grade weapons that, if everyone was united and organized, the Outer Rim would be able to take on the Republic with a fair chance of winning. This in conjunction to everything else made up his mind. He was going to terminate this working relationship right now, he suspected that those weapons would be aimed at both the Jedi and the Republic, and Han was in the Republic navy. In fact according to his last letter he'd fallen in love with and married a Jedi. Go figure, Han Solo, committed bachelor, married and with twins on the way to boot. This thought helped lower his blood pressure somewhat, but when he saw Tann's ship on the platform his blood hit boiling again in quick order. 

He strode out on to the platform, the evening air cool. There was a storm front moving in, Lando realized. Then the ship opened up and she stepped out onto the platform. As soon as Lando saw her, his rage and anger, indeed the knowledge of what brought those things on completely left his mind. He knew only one thing: his desire to touch her and be touched by her. Maybe this trip he would finally be allowed to bed her like he had wanted to since she first came into his life.

"Administrator, so kind of you to meet me out here," Tann said, her voice flowed over him like water after a long workout, refreshing.

"Ms Tann, a pleasure it is to have you back in our fair city. I trust the last few months have been fruitful for your endeavors?" Lando asked, and hoped the desire he felt didn't infect his voice too much.

"I met most of my goals, Administrator. Rest assured our," she paused and put a finger on his chest drawing doodles into it with her finger, "association will not be ending anytime soon. I do have something to discuss with you, if you don't mind."

Lando's breath caught as her finger nail traced different shapes into his chest. Her own nearly touching his, and her outfit, as did every outfit he'd seen her in, left very little yet oh so very much to the imagination. "Of course Ms. Tann," Lando swallowed and hated how husky his voice sounded to himself," we can meet in my office."

"Excellent, my handsome Administrator. Shall we meet in an hour? I would love to get a shower, to be able to wash the stink of travel off of my body," Tann said, running her tongue just over her lips, moistening them.

Lando's heart was racing now; his knees were weakening slightly, too. Not a good sign if one wants to maintain a professional image. He cleared his throat twice then said, "That would be acceptable, Ms. Tann." Lando nearly lost all of his composure when she rewarded him with a smile.

"I look forward to seeing you then, Administrator," Tann said, and leaned in and placed a small, soft kiss on Lando's cheek. Like the previous two kisses he'd gotten from her, this one drove him wild. Indeed, he was embarrassed to realize that he would need to change before their meeting. She walked passed him and never looked back as she went to her quarters.

* * *

Anakin hadn't really had time to do much with his third child in a long time, and though she seemed fine, he knew that she occasionally missed long talks with her father. He'd dumped his Padawan off onto her Master, and they'd stolen away for the afternoon, and ended up at Dex's. Dex had come out to greet them, just as he would have if it had been Obi-Wan there. "Anakin, good to see you. Which of your wife's lovely daughters is this one?" 

"Elisabeth," she answered for herself. "But you know that Dex."

"Do I now?"

"You practically met me the day that I was born," she said huffily.

"As spirited as she is as well," he said with a wink at Anakin. "I've got to get back to the kitchen, unless you have something you need from me?"

"No, old friend, I just haven't gotten a chance to talk to Liz for some time."

"I'm glad, then that you chose to bring her here. I don't see you all nearly enough, though Leia and her mate were in just the other night."

Anakin shook his head as Dex returned to the kitchen. "So, Elisabeth, how is your training coming?"

She smiled weakly, "I just spent the last week in the crèche by myself, since Master Koon has been so sick. I'm relieved that they finally figured out what was wrong."

"I'm glad. So you like the crèche?"

"It's a lot of fun. I've always got something new to do."

"Is that what you want to do when you become a Knight?"

"I think so. I'm not so good with the whole diplomat-with-a-Lightsaber gig," she said, wrinkling her nose.

Anakin chuckled, and the droid waitress came over and took their order. "It's good that you found something that you are happy with. How is Fin?"

A deep blush crept up her cheeks, "Um, I think he's fine, Daddy."

"Good. Is there anything that I should know about?"

She blushed more deeply. "No, Daddy. I'm not you."

"I should hope not. I'd never hear the end of it from Obi-Wan. I think that he'd accuse you of seducing his impressionable young son."

"I think it's been past the point of one of us seducing the other for years."

Anakin raised his eyebrow at that one, and the waitress brought their food out. "Really."

"Daddy," she chastised him. "I know the rules, Fin knows the rules. We have agreed that it is really such a short time to wait, until I am Knighted."

"You shouldn't be discussing it; you are supposed to be concentrating on your training."

"It's only really come up since he got Knighted, Daddy. He didn't even acknowledge that he had feelings for me before that, even though I could see them from about the time that I was twelve."

"And I only noticed last week."

"Really? I thought that the way he ogled over me was obvious to everyone."

"I don't think so, Liz. I don't know that Obi-Wan even realizes."

"But you were worried."

"Elisabeth, you are my daughter, and I love you. I just want to make sure that you are doing what's best."

"I promise not to do what Leia did, Daddy. I know that it bothers you."

Anakin frowned, not because of what she had told him, but because he was having trouble remembering the particulars of the event she alluded to. "Yes, it bothers me," he said finally, having been unable to recall information about this lifetime for the first time.

"I can't say that I blame you. We were all really worried, and then when you brought them home, it was such a shock…"

He finished the last bite of his food, chewing it slowly while he thought, staring out the window.

"Daddy?"

"Yes?" he asked, but he didn't return his eyes to her.

"Did you want to go home now? It's getting to be about time for your Lightsaber class with the Senior Padawans."

He sighed, looking down at his plate, then back to her. "Yes, I suppose that we should. I miss having time to talk with you, Liz. Maybe we should do this again soon."

"Alright, Daddy, but not so that you can grill me about Fin again," she said as she got up to leave. She hugged him, and he put his arm around her. _I think that I've been a good father,_ he thought, hoping that he would be ready for the next time around.

A small smile played across his lips. "I only ask because I love you," he said as he brushed her unbound hair out of her face.

* * *

Celia worked under the watchful eyes of her Master, to whom her patient, her mother, was constantly looking. "The usual treatment doesn't work for you?" 

"No, the soda crackers and milk just make me want to wretch my guts out more."

"I see. There is an alternative that we haven't tried yet, but I'm leery of it."

"Why?"

"Because, I know how you like to overdo things," she said, crossing her arms defiantly.

"I'll follow orders, I promise."

Celia regarded her mother skeptically. "Alright. The next most common treatment for nausea is ground ginger root, which apparently is an ingredient in a particular type of cookies, for which I have obtained a recipe. But you can't overdo this. In addition to suppressing the nausea, it also has the effect of thinning your blood, making clotting less efficient. You can't eat these after about the end of the seventh month."

"Alright, my little healer, I will endeavor to remember, but I'm sure that you will ensure that I don't have access to them after you don't want me to."

"You've got that right."

Padmé nearly rolled her eyes at her thirteen-year-old daughter's attitude. Sometimes she wished that their children didn't take after them quite so much. "I will see what can be done about this," she said, taking the recipe from Celia. "I don't remember getting very bad morning sickness until the triplets. I think it was the morning sickness that made me decide I didn't want to do this again."

"The Force does as the Force wills, Mother," Celia said, giving her a hug.

"Are hugs standard treatment for your patients?"

"Only the ones that need them."


	8. Suprises for everyone

**AN: I intended to do more with this chapter, but I kinda got stalled out in some of the details, therefore Luke and Mara are spending more alone time than I originally planned--with Jaz of course. They should get back to Coruscant next chapter, so pacing should pick up then. I think Chapter 10 is probably a good target for stuff to really start to happen (as was the case with Yoda's Shadow)...but the details are really interesting, I promise.**

* * *

Chapter 7

Luke, Mara and Jasmine planned their trip. A month was normally allowed for the construction, but she was, after all, a Skywalker, so when Padmé had arranged for her Ceremony five weeks from the day of their departure, no one had really said anything, but there were many people with doubts. He heard the low murmur of disbelief in the back of his head as that knowledge disseminated through the Temple. He knew that there were doubts that she was even capable of constructing her lightsaber, let alone in the shortened time, but he knew better. But it would take the time that it took. He warned his mother that she would not be as fast as he and the others had been, but only because he wasn't sure how long it would take her to be satisfied with her work, not to actually _do_ the work.

He took about three times as much material as he would normally, which meant that he should have enough there to construct twelve lightsabers. He hoped that she would have enough materials to make her decisions as to what she wanted with her lightsaber. He even brought along a connecter, in case she wanted to have a double bladed one like Leia had. Most of what he brought was the internal components, the outer casing could and would be fashioned once the insides were complete. Jasmine had been nervous the whole trip to Ilum.

"What if I don't find one?" she asked Luke.

"You will, I remember when Qui-Gon brought me here my first time I felt the same way. It might take time for you to hear the call of your first crystal, or you could be like Dad and have seventeen of them shouting for their turn," Luke replied with a grin.

"I wonder what color it will be."

"There are many different colors that a saber can be. Master Windu's is purple, but I'm sure you know the vast majority of blades tend to be either blue or green," Mara added from the cockpit of the ship.

"How long will it take me to build it?"

Luke considered the question before answering, "Well, unfortunately for you, you are a Skywalker, so many will expect you to build it fast. However, it doesn't matter how quickly you build your lightsaber. The only thing that matters is that you build it well and that it fits you."

Jasmine bit her bottom lip while she thought about Luke's words, then she said, "I want you to be proud of me."

"Jasmine, I am proud of you. This is your journey, I am only your guide, the next decade of your life will be a great adventure as you learn more about the nature of the Force and most importantly your own inner nature."

"I'm not sure what you mean."

"That, Little Bit, is only because you've only just started the journey." Luke headed up to the cockpit to see how the landing was going.

* * *

Jasmine took a few tentative steps into the cavern on Ilum. It was strange, because Luke and Mara had insisted that she would do this better if she went alone. She'd never been away from any of her family, not really. At least one of her sisters was always with her. Even when they went to the Room of a Thousand Fountains, one of them would go with her. Now, she was on a planet with only two other people, and they were back on the ship. It wasn't uncomfortable, but it was massively quiet. Tears came to her eyes, unbidden; this place made her feel so _alone_. She sank to her knees, overcome with despair. She wept at the mouth of the cave. _I can't do this. I'm not good enough. I'm not worthy._

"_There was a time I felt the same way."_

She opened her eyes to an ethereal woman facing her. She was dressed in a very old style of Jedi Robes, and reminded her a little bit of Mara, but not quite as pretty. "Who are you?"

"_I am Nomi Sunrider, Jedi Master."_

"I've heard of you. You're one of the greatest Jedi from that age!"

"_Hmmm. I never really thought so. Master Thon was a hundred times better than I ever was."_

She giggled, "I think the same thing about Luke."

"_And he thinks the same of Qui-Gon."_

"Do you really think so?"

"_Of course. You will learn in time, Jasmine Skywalker, that most truly competent people have doubts of their own abilities, where as the truly confident are usually boobs."_

Jasmine giggled again. "So what I'm feeling is normal?"

"_Doubt is a part of life. You cannot let it overwhelm you; like all emotion, acknowledge it, gain wisdom from it, and release it."_

"So what should I do now?"

"_Know that you already do." _The ghost said as she faded out.

Jasmine set her shoulders with new determination, and went deeper into the cave, letting the Force guide her steps. Once she'd actually gotten inside, she started to hear soft voices murmuring in the background. Yet, that wasn't quite an accurate description, since they weren't voices, and they weren't saying anything. It was more like she was hearing emotions, tiny and indefinite. Her feet took her to the center of a cavern deep within the cave system. There she knelt, closed her eyes and searched with the Force. It did not take very long for her to notice that one particular crystal glowed more brightly in the Force than any of the others. Unfortunately for the slight girl, it was in the middle of the ceiling.

She considered the situation. The crystal itself was about the size of Luke's Lightsaber hilt. That could be a problem, but one she could consider once she got it down. The other problem was that it was mostly buried in the ceiling, with only the barest point sticking out. She supposed that she could just break the tip off, as that would be the perfect size for a crystal, but that solution just felt wrong to her, as though she were considering kicking a Tooke. The only solution that sounded right was to remove the entire crystal without damaging it. She initially considered using the Force to pull it to her, but the risk of damaging it was too high. Another thought that came to her was removing the surrounding rock from the crystal, and she actually made an attempt to do that, only to discover that the level of concentration needed to do a proper job of it was simply too taxing for her. When the solution came to her, she'd already been at the task for two hours. She produced a buffer zone of rock around her crystal, removing the rock surrounding it without worry of damaging her precious crystal. It was a lot easier because she could remove larger quantities of material from each point. She was able to, after considerable work, see that her crystal, in its rocky cocoon, was only hanging by a tiny thread of rock. She walked over under her crystal, to her pile of rock, and broke the last piece with the Force, and reached out to it with the Force, drawing it into her hand. It landed with an audible slap against her palm, and she moved to the ready position. Her thumb moved across a space where there should have been a button, and felt mild surprise that it didn't ignite into a blade. She realized that this would only be the first part of her task, but it felt so right. She only had to form it, and this would be her Lightsaber for the rest of her life.

* * *

Mara kissed the back of Luke's neck, sighing, her breath dancing across the spot that she'd just kissed, making him shiver. This trip had done wonders for their relationship, culminating in their first love making since he'd gotten back from Korriban and points beyond. She'd been touched that he had, in spite of not remembering her, worked hard on getting those memories back. He had even taken to spending an entire hour on it every night, on top of his regular meditation. The old feeling she felt from him when he thought of her was returning far faster than she hoped would be possible.

"That's how you got in trouble, you know," he reminded her, his voice sounding playful, and his hand running lightly up her thigh.

"I know; I like being in trouble."

"You do? So you like spending ten minutes hunched over in the 'fresher every morning?"

"Not that part, silly."

"Ah…she's found her crystal," he said as he turned onto his back.

"Took her time with it didn't she?"

"Jaz always has been very deliberate in everything she does."

"She's going to be a fine Jedi I think."

"She's headed to the Council if she wants it, I think."

"It's possible. I've been watching her with you, the only thing really holding her back is her lack of self-confidence. I've watched you and her with her exercises and she always hesitates with everything. She also imitates you a lot instead of finding her own way of doing things."

"I know, that's one reason I sent her out there on her own. She needs a success that is wholly hers; that and I wanted some private time with my too-beautiful-to-be-believed wife."

"Why, Knight Skywalker, I do believe you mean to flatter me."

Luke paused to consider this then said, "Yes, I do mean to flatter you. Is it working?"

Mara leaned over and kissed her beloved and replied, "Yes, it's working quite well." She kissed him again feeling for the first time in a long time that her husband had finally come home, then they were interrupted by a young voice.

"Don't mind me, I'll be in the tech bay working on my lightsaber, you two keep on making up. I'll let you know if I need help." Mara and Luke broke down into giggles.

"Is that what we were doing?"

"Something like that," Luke said, taking his Padawan at her word, drawing Mara down for another kiss.

* * *

Lando was frustrated. She'd been in Cloud City for a solid week, and yet had not taken much time to work on their relationship. She'd had dinner with him, heck, she'd taken whole days to spend with him, but she had yet to give in to her obvious desire for him, and to sate his need for her. He was starting to wonder if she had some strange vow of celibacy that she'd failed to mention. However, such vows usually frowned upon teasing the uninitiated. He sighed, and tried to concentrate on the work that needed done before he would see her again, and her presence would drive everything else out of his mind until she left again. There was something nagging in the back of his mind, though, but he couldn't put his finger on it. He stopped for a moment, intent on it, but it escaped him further. _I suppose that if it's truly important, it will come to me,_ he concluded.

Sev'rance Tann chose that moment to enter his office, and sat in the chair across from him. "Good afternoon, Administrator," she said, her voice feeling as though it touched every part of his body, rubbing itself on the inside of his skin. Indeed, he felt as though he'd been marked, and far more thoroughly than a cat would have done.

He cleared his throat. "Good afternoon, Ms. Tann."

"I am pleased by the efficiency of your operations here," she said, but his body reacted like she'd described the very naughty things she wanted to do to him that night after dinner.

"Thank you, Ms. Tann. I'm glad that you appreciate our hard work here," he said, at which point Lobot entered the room.

"Can I do something for you, Lobot?"

Lobot came over to Lando, and whispered into his ear, "I thought you were going to read her the riot act, sir."

Lando was confused, "Could you excuse us for a moment, please?" he asked Tann.

"Of course. I need to freshen up anyway," she said, and left, putting on a show on her way out.

Lando's eyes followed of their own accord, until Lobot started to snap his fingers in front of his face. "She's quite a woman, isn't she Lobot?"

"She seems to dress provocatively and 'perform' in such a way as to distract the entire male population of the station. She is a danger."

"What do you mean?"

"The last time that we discussed Ms. Tann, you were quite angry."

"I don't remember that. I was angry with you?"

"No, sir. You were livid with her."

"With her? Why would I be upset with her?"

"Because of this." Lobot said, turning the computer screen towards Lando and ordering the computer to display a list of very nasty things that she was doing when she was not on Cloud City. He scrolled through it until he got to the things she was doing _on_ Cloud City, and his blood began to boil. The rage cut through the shroud of lust that Tann had placed over his mind.

"Thank you for reminding me about this, Lobot. Please stay here." He pressed a comlink button, probably too hard to be good for it, and announced, "Ms. Tann to my office, IMMEDIATELY." The denizens of the city were probably all thankful that none of their names had been said.

He didn't have to wait long. She hadn't gone far. As she entered, she put another show on for his benefit, but he was too angry for it to do anything to him at that point. "Stop it. I want you and your people to get out of my city."

She stopped for a moment, evaluating the situation. A cold smile passed over her face. "Well, my dear Administrator, I was going to do this the easy way, but that is no longer an option." Her voice sent a very different sort of chills down his spine.

"No, you are getting out of my city. Please leave now."

"Tsk, tsk, tsk," She said, waggling her finger at him, "I believe that you need a demonstration of just who you are dealing with." She stretched her hand out to him, and lightning flew from her fingertips, sending him flying into the wall behind his desk, where he crumpled to the floor in pain.

Lobot moved to attack her, but Lando watched as she pushed him, but not with her hands, and pinned him to the wall. Lobot stayed where he was, two feet off the floor, pinned against the wall somehow, as she slid around the desk to Lando. "I think that you need a permanent reminder of our discussion."

The guards arrived at the door, and she turned to Lobot. "Call them off or I will kill him," and the guards went away as suddenly as they had arrived.

"Now my dear Administrator, about that reminder," she said as she turned back to him. She pulled out a long metal cylinder.

"You're a Jedi, aren't you?"

"Not quite." His hand came up as if it were pulled by some unseen force. She lit the blade, and the blood red glow that it cast was impressive. She swung, and the pain that she caused him overwhelmed everything else. It seemed like forever before he heard a soft thud. He opened his eyes and saw his hand laying on the floor in front of him.

"You bitch!"

"You work for me now, my dear Administrator."

* * *

Anakin was amused by his wife's insistence at having everything ready for Jaz's Padawaning Ceremony party nearly a month before it was to actually occur. Luke had said that it would take the time that it took. He accepted that, since Luke knew Jasmine quite well, if he wasn't concerned about the length of time that she would take with it, he didn't see any reason to get bent out of shape over it. He had more things to worry about than he needed, so letting Jaz's problems fall squarely on his son's shoulders didn't bother him in the least. After all, Luke volunteered for the job. He had his own Padawan to worry about, which brought him back to the present. He was out with Ash on patrol, walking in the underbelly of Coruscant. The mid-regions, they called this place. They would head down a level or two before they headed home, but he was halfway still getting used to the whole notion anyway.

"Why can't we try to affect larger changes, Master?"

Anakin sighed. He remembered dodging the question numerous times, but now he understood the answer, and felt the need to make it clear. "Because it is a path to the dark side. Not a straight one, to be sure, but one of many, and probably the most insidious. You think that you are helping for a long time and you wake up one morning and you have become a monster."

"I don't think I understand."

"Look at it this way. There are two kinds of love; one is selfless, bright, shining and good. The other kind of love is possessive, the object of your affection is yours, and they _will_ do what you have decided is in their best interest. That can go for individuals or for societies. When you want to make a greater change than those we are making today, you are taking small pieces of their free will, and that is not a good thing."

"But don't the nudges we do already do that?"

"No, they don't. The small nudges we do tip the balance in favor of a decision that is already under consideration. We simply ensure that they don't do something that they will regret later."

"But we still make the choice for them."

"True, in that individual decision. But it is from small items that larger patterns develop. Usually, the decision that we choose for them is the one that they are leaning toward anyway, or is the one that they would most like to do, but can't actually choose due to fear. And fear is the basis of many a bad decision."

"Like what?"

"Many murders are committed out of fear. Wars are fought out of fear. Fortunes are lost because of fear, or worse, never made at all."

"But you've said that it's ok to be afraid."

"Denying one's emotions is a fool's errand. But that doesn't mean that you permit your emotions to make your decisions for you. Your emotions are merely a source of information. You are wise to head them, but only as much as any other piece of information that you get."

"Is that your way of getting back to 'there is no emotion, there is only peace'?"

"One can only truly be wise when one is at peace."

"When did you start getting all philosophical on me?"

"Oh, I have my moments," Anakin said with a twinkle in his eye.

"You torture me on purpose, Master."

"Not really. I tortured Obi-Wan on purpose, but not you. He deserved it though."

"Really? What for?"

"Among other things, He picked out absolutely awful names for his children."

"I've never heard you complain before."

"Oh, I stopped about the time that you were born. It didn't seem proper to tease him any more about it, considering what happened to the twins."

"Luke and Leia are perfectly proper—oh."

"What was worse, was that he knew that I was having twins before I did."

"So he got to tease you about the cutesy names that you picked out for the twins."

"Something like that, although my wife holds full blame on that score, even if she denies it."

* * *

Leia lay on the mat, staring up at the branches of the fake Wroshyr tree that she had helped Chewie to construct as part of her punishment. It wasn't very tall, only about thirty meters or so, considering the trees would ordinarily grow over a kilometer in height. The pad that she was laying on was a concession, for the twins. She was learning some sort of metitative battle art that Wookiees performed. It seemed to require the tree, so they had a tree, which she fell out of a lot.

'One more time, Cub-mate. Then we call it a day.' Chewie growled at her, still merrily performing his routine. 'When Cub returns I am going home to see my mate, and my' he roared something that she didn't understand.

"Your what?"

He repeated the word for her.

"I don't know that word."

He searched for a moment, scratching his head. 'Your cubs, to each other, that is what it is like.'

"Your sibling?"

'Yes, she will have a cub soon.'

She Force-Jumped the distance to the branch he was on, glad to be remembering how to use the Force, she had to admit that feeling it flow through her was truly amazing. "So when exactly are you going?"

'It will probably be after your cubs are here. You may come and bring them. Cub likes to go home.'

"I suppose that I could recuperate on Kashyyyk, and meet everyone and work on my Shyriiwook."

'It will be great fun, you will see.'

"I'm sure."

'You must forget about the height, then it will be easier,' he told her, and after having told her that a hundred times, it was calming to hear him say it again. He was very patient with her, more so than most of the people around her would have been.

* * *

Jasmine took the crystal into the tech bay. Once she was there, she knew that her first step was to get the remains of the cocoon of rock off the crystal, so she set up a beaker with an acid solution that Luke had brought along for the purpose, though she didn't think he'd thought she'd need quite as much as she was going to. It was good that he'd thought to bring extra of everything, just in case she found more than what was normal, like Jae had. Due to the size of the crystal, it would take several days to clean. As she started the first cleaning cycle, Luke and Mara came out of their cabin.

"You hungry, Little Bit?"

Jasmine considered the question, and realized, much to her surprised that she was famished. "Starving."

"Well, let's see what we can do about that."

"What color is your crystal?" Mara asked her.

"I don't know yet," she said, indicating the beaker full of acid with a big rock inside. "It's covered in rock, and I'm cleaning it."

"Ah. I had to clean my first one, too." She took her lightsaber out, and pressed a button on the side, revealing the crystal matrix. Inside, were four crystals of varied shapes. She indicated one that was a bright, vibrant blue. "That was my first one."

"What are the other crystals for?"

"One increases the blade's cutting power, the other reduces its power consumption, and the third gives the cycle a bifurcation so that it will work underwater."

Jasmine looked at the assembly closely, committing it to memory. "Is yours different, Master?" she asked Luke inquisitively.

"A little bit." He told her as he chopped vegetables. "I've never really had a problem with power consumption, but I've got a second crystal to make the thing work underwater."

He finished the salad as Jas and Mara were setting the table, and he sat the bowl in the center, and finished cooking the nerfsteak. They sat down to eat, and Luke said, "I suppose that we can raise ship now."

"Can we stay? It's quiet here. At least until I finish my Lightsaber?"

Luke thought about it for a moment. He hadn't really packed for an extended stay on the cold planet, but if she didn't take more than a week, they would be fine. "We can stay for a week, because that's all the food that we brought, Little Bit."

"I don't know if that's enough time."

"Well, there's not much we can do about that part."

"There is game out there, Luke," Mara said.

"And we can melt snow for water." Jasmine added.

"That won't be necessary, we have plenty of water."

"Oh…yeah, we are reclaiming most of what we use, aren't we?"

"Good to see you've been paying attention on how starships work, Jaz."

She grinned at him and went at her meal with the ferocity only a hungry child can.

* * *

Celia was setting the break that Ayden Cerre had gotten in a fall during Force Applications class. He and Olisa Burtola had been trying to out-do each other in Levitation. "I was doing fine until I looked down," he said.

"Ayden, how many times do I have to tell you not to get into contests with Obi-Wan's granddaughter?"

"But she said she could go higher than me."

"And I don't doubt that she can, but you don't need to try to prove it to the whole class by challenging her."

"It's not fair. Everything comes so easy to her."

"And she will be receiving another lecture tonight on how improper it is for a Kenobi to get into Force-using contests like this. Besides, the expectations that are placed upon her are higher than the ones placed on you."

He eyed her suspiciously. "How do you know?"

"Because the script is about the same as the one for how unbecoming it was for a Skywalker to do something. I was about three when Elisabeth was your age, and I heard every lecture Dad gave her on the subject, because when he's mad he's loud."

"What about Luke and Leia?" he asked, saying their names like he was talking about legendary people.

"They were even worse. They were Padawans by then, though, so Dad left a lot of the yelling to their Masters." She finished sealing the bone so that it would find its own balance over the next several days. "No levitating past twice your own height, no Force Pushing around stairs, or walls that aren't padded. Don't put yourself in any situation that would put a large amount of stress on that leg. Am I clear?"

"No Force Tag, either?"

"'Fraid not."

"I can't do anything fun."

"You should have thought of that before you went and got yourself into a levitation contest with a Kenobi."

"She started it."

"That doesn't mean that you have to take her up on a challenge."

He hopped down from the table. "I'd better hurry. Lightsaber practice starts in twenty minutes."

She shook her head, then stretched her back as she touched the floor. "Good with the young ones, you are," said a voice out of nowhere.

She stepped back, and assumed a more upright position, kneeling. "It's good to see you again, Master Yoda. Are you feeling ok today?"

"Well enough. Tired I get, but when nine hundred years you reach, tired you will be as well."

She laughed. "I'm sure that you are right, Master. Did you want to see Master Allie today?"

"Acceptable that will be, youngling."

She closed her eyes briefly while she sought out her Master; she was down a level, but not busy. _Master Yoda is here to see you._

_I'll be up in a minute, dear._

"It'll be just a second, Master," she said as she escorted him into her Master's exam room.

* * *

Padmé had invited Bail over to the Temple for dinner, since they hadn't finished talking about a series of initiatives that some of the Outer Rim's Senators were supporting. The InterGalactic Banking Clan was particularly bad about making a nuisance of themselves, they've opposed numerous measures that would really help develop the Outer Rim, but the Banking Clan was placing their profits above the good of the people. Padmé really wanted to get some anti-trust legislation through the Senate and break up some of the larger conglomerates. She was sick and tired of the way they ran roughshod over individuals with bad financial deals. She had been lucky to keep the IGBC from buying up all banking interests in the Galaxy, unfortunately they'd gotten most of the Outer Rims smaller banks, which left them free to charge outrageous interest rates to everyone on the Rim and there was nothing the Senate could do about it short of breaking the entity up.

Anakin sat down with food in hand, he had cooked, and their children were all elsewhere. "I am just the cook. Don't expect me to understand what you guys are talking about," he said.

"You deal with the politics of the Council every day," Bail protested.

"Jedi politics are much simpler than regular politics. Jedi do what they are told. Senators do not."

"Well, you really don't have to worry about it too much. We aren't talking about anything you would have any interest in anyway."

"Good. I'll be quiet now."

She shook her head. "Now, Bail, we were going over the financial situation of the Outer Rim."

"I think that the IGBC needs to be taken down a notch or two. This last round of banks that they bought up just makes life out there unbearable. It was such a narrow margin that the anti-trust block failed, that I'm not so sure that it wouldn't pass now, after everyone's seen what the results of having let them do it is."

"I would like to see who we could get on board for this, just a couple of fishing lines for people who won't go talking."

"Agreed. Now as to who…" Bail was interrupted by the opening of the door.

"Daddy?" Leia said, her voice strangled.

"I'll be back," Anakin said, directing his attention to his distraught daughter. She wondered what was going on, then she remembered, and mentally smacked herself for not having considered it. She should have known better than to bring Bail Organa into this house without warning Leia.

"Is she going to be ok, Padmé? She didn't look like she was having a good day."

"She'll be fine, Bail. She's just not having the best time with the twins, I think, and Han is gone, too."

"That makes things difficult," he agreed, and they got back to business.

* * *

Anakin headed Leia off, "Out," he whispered, and followed her out the door. They headed for Leia's apartment in silence. He tried to comfort her, giving her a hug, but she pushed him away when he tried. He sighed, knowing that she needed more space, and that she'd still only just accepted him into her life.

She went over and sat on the sofa, in tears. "I'm sorry about my outburst."

"It's ok. Your mother wrote it off to your pregnancy and Han being gone. Did you want to talk?" he asked as he leaned against the wall, giving her the space that she seemed to need right then.

"Yeah. Everything is so different. I hadn't even considered that he would be alive and around. He gave up the Senate when I turned eighteen."

"I know. It's different here. According to some of the things Padmé has said I think he's about next in line for Chancellor, at least if things go well for the good guys."

"I hope so. I always thought that he'd make a good leader, although in the Empire he would have never been given that opportunity. He was part of the leadership of the Rebellion until he died."

"I'm sorry about that, sweetheart. I know how much heartache that the destruction of Alderaan caused you."

"Alderaan's still there now though, so it didn't happen," she said, and that surprised him.

"It did and it didn't. Denying that you watched it happen won't do you any good, Princess. We can go visit there if you like, if you think that it will help you to heal."

"I doubt it. No one will know who I am, and that will make it really hard to go home."

"Yeah. Luke kind of wanted to go see Owen and Beru, but I think it would be the same for him. The people that he knew wouldn't know him, or at least not in the same way, and that would be hard on him."

"We've gone there, though. I remember getting yelled at for…"

"For what?"

"Threading the needle?"

"Ah. I remember trying that one myself, quite a few times."

"I don't remember doing it, just getting yelled at for trying it."

Anakin laughed. "I'm still having trouble with my memories, some of them, anyway. I have trouble relaxing enough to let them come on their own."

"Dad?"

"What?"

"I'm having trouble with this whole Jedi thing."

Anakin considered that for a while, waiting for her to say more, but she didn't. "I can't say that I'm surprised. You have been thrust into the position of being a Senior Padawan, while on the other hand, it's been just over a month since you found out that you were a Skywalker at all."

"It's weird though. I can do it, but only if I don't think about doing it."

"That's what I've been finding with my memories. They come to me if I stop worrying about them and just let them come on their own."

"Am I ever going to be able to access the Force easily?"

"Yes, if for no other reason than you are a Skywalker."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?"

"Yes, it was. Did it work?" he asked with one of his lopsided grins, usually only reserved for Padmé.

"Daddy! You always do that."

"Do what?"

"Make jokes instead of helping. How did you stand not being able to laugh as Vader?"

This question took Anakin by surprise, and he considered it for a moment. "Truthfully, I never really felt like laughing during those years. I never really understood how the Emperor could laugh, being a Sith. I suppose it had something to do with being on the other end of the whip."

Leia nodded, and she was quiet, not really comfortable with what he'd revealed to her. She found her voice quickly enough, though, "Am I ever going to get used to this?"

"This has forever changed you, but if it helps, I'm finding myself thinking of these new memories as simply memories more and more. However, we will always remember our old lives, I think. All I know for sure is that my memories are not fading as I assimilate the new ones. There are some that I wish would, though." As he said that, the image of the younglings hiding in the Council Chamber passed before his eyes.

"I guess I'll have to figure it out somehow."

"Meditation seems to be helping your brother."

"I haven't even tried."

"Talk to Master Yoda, I think that he will be able to help you."

"I will, but first I think I need to soak out some of the soreness Chewie pounded into me today."

Anakin chuckled, "Inventive with their punishments for that particular sin, aren't they?"

"I'd be happier if it didn't involve a tree."

"I'm sure. Go rest, and talk to Yoda."

She wrapped her arms around him, and was gone before he could move. "Thanks."

"Any time, Princess."


	9. Tidings of a Troubling Future

**AN: Ok. Some really bad stuff is happening in this chapter, implied and otherwise, so if you can't deal with really bad things, you might not want to read this. Just a warning. Or at least the second to the last section.**

Jedi Master Sabbath:**Aayla will make her appearance at some point, she's an integral part of the story.**

* * *

Chapter 8

Leia found Master Yoda in the Room of a Thousand Fountains. He was feeding a fish. "Leia, how feel you today?"

"I'm fine, Master."

"Lie to me, you should not, young one. Far to old have I grown to waste my time with lies."

She felt very ashamed, but didn't quite know why she felt it so deeply. "I'm troubled, Master," she said as she sat on the edge of the pond, and lowered her bared feet into the water. A light mist from the fountain dampened her hair, and fish examined her toes to see if she tasted good.

"Your inability to touch the Force, that is what troubles you?" he asked her, and he coughed a couple of times. It pulled at her heart, but she didn't understand why; he was, to her mind, a stranger. He seemed to read her so easily, though, "In your previous existence, with your Rebellion, know me you did not."

"No, Master, I didn't. I didn't meet you until we came to the past."

"Never trained as a Jedi, were you, in that reality."

"No, Master. I suppose that Luke would have taught me, if there had been time."

"Trouble you are having, connecting to the Force?"

"I'm not sure. I can do things, but it's on instinct, I can't do it if I think about it."

"Troubling this is. A Senior Padawan, you are. Less than a year from your trials, your Master has said."

"I haven't even seen my Master since I came here."

"Away she has been, expecting you she is not. Understand she does, that other priorities you have." He poked her bulging stomach gently for emphasis, and chortled. Leia found herself not being able to help smiling. "But helping you, this conversation is not. You must unlearn what you have learned. Remember to trust in the Force; a powerful ally it is."

"Will I remember?"

"Answer that only you can," he said, another cough, worse this time, came upon him.

"Are you all right, Master?" she asked as concern for the diminutive Jedi overwhelmed her.

"Warms my heart your concern does, child. I am fine, merely sick I have become. Soon I will join with the Force."

"You're dying?!" she asked, disbelief and shock coloring her tone. "Master Yoda, you can't die, we all need you," she didn't know where the words came from, but she knew that she honestly felt them.

Yoda chortled again. "Die I can, die I will. My time, it is. A natural part of the cycle is this. Mourn not for me when I pass on into the Force. Earned this rest, I have," he said, his aged hand brushing a tear from her face, and on impulse she embraced the aged Jedi Master.

"I wish I could remember you."

"You will, you will."

* * *

Jasmine rinsed the rock residue away from her crystal and set it on the table for Mara and Luke to inspect. 

"It's a little big, don't you think?" Luke asked her, as he examined the bronze crystal.

"A little, but I'm still growing."

"Just what are you intending to do with it, Jaz?" Mara asked.

"Make my lightsaber out of it."

Luke still looked a bit puzzled. "Obviously, but just how big will the hilt be?"

Jasmine picked the crystal up, holding it with both hands, placing one finger on each end of the crystal, "About this long, give or take a little bit."

"Are you going to make that crystal your hilt?"

"Yes. This tip is going to be the focus crystal," she indicated the pointier end.

"Well, that's defiantly ambitious. If you need help, we are here for you."

Jaz tilted her head. "I know, but I don't think I will."

"Ok, we were going to go out and see if there is anything that we can round up for food."

"Ok. Make sure that you have a comlink on you in case something happens."

"I will." Luke said, kissing the top of her head, and she gave him a hug and turned back to the workbench as the two of them headed to their cabin to get changed for the frigid outdoors. She looked over the assorted parts, poking them with her fingers, and with the Force. None of them really stood out to her, so she started to lay them out by type. She found a lightstaff connector among the various items; she didn't need that, so she threw it back in the box, where it landed with a thunk.

She picked up one of the power cells. It was the right one; but there was something wrong with it, at least for her. It was too big. She put it aside to work on later, and dumped the rest of the power cells back into their storage box.

There was an energy gate that she liked the look of, but it wouldn't fit with the power cell. She kept it out anyway. She picked through the blade channel parts, picking out what the Force guided her to. She picked out a blade emitter, and a stabilizing ring. Everything else went back into the box.

* * *

Lando looked at his two 'shadows' with annoyance. Their high-pitched 'Roger, Roger's were about to drive him insane. At least they weren't hooked up into his brain, as they'd done to Lobot. Their presence was a reminder of Tann, who had taken off about two weeks previous, saying something about meeting the father of her future child. Lando felt sorry for whatever schmuck she'd set her sights on for that 'duty.' 

"You have yet to respond to your friend Solo, sir. He will be getting curious as to why you haven't congratulated him on the twins soon. We cannot have any appearances that anything is amiss, sir," one of the droids said. They obviously didn't know much. He rarely wrote back to Han, but he had intended to do so before she had gotten her grubby Sith hands on him.

"I meant to do that a couple of weeks ago, General." he informed the droid, who had insisted that it was his title. It had only taken five whacks on the head for him to decide that the fun he got out of tweaking the pompous, self-important droid wasn't worth the concussions. He pulled the relevant file up, and paused to think about what to write. He seriously wanted to type 'HELP' as many times as the screen would hold, but he didn't think that the droids would like that, but he needed to let Han know that something was seriously wrong, to help prevent the coming war, if nothing else.

His mind settled on the _Falcon._ He could use that. He'd been ruing the day that he lost that ship to Han, but now it was coming in handy. He started writing.

'Hey you old taxi driver,

I wanted to congratulate you on your marriage and the twins. It seems like only yesterday that you were a confirmed bachelor with every girl on Cloud City chasing you. I'm taking good care of your old ship, the _Falcon._ She's been a real bitch lately though. She nearly took off something important to me when I tried to shut the hatch the other day. I think she's jealous. She's also got an infestation of Nematodian Scarabs that I picked up in the last trip out with her. Her hyperdrive is shot, those Scarabs got into the power cables. Sorry that I won't be able to visit anytime soon, but until things cool off out here and I can get the Scarabs out of the _Falcon_, I'm way too busy to make a trip to the Core. Hope you can visit soon, bring friends, and it'll be just like old times, like before you became all respectable.

Lando'

He read it over again quickly, and then sent it, but it was checked by the sensor droid first. It was all Lando could do not to collapse in relief as it passed through.

* * *

Cedric woke before dawn, which had become his habit, but he wasn't waking from a nightmare this time. He glanced at the clock, finding it was very early, even earlier than he typically woke from his worst nightmares with. He didn't feel like going back to sleep, though, so he stepped out onto the balcony to try to meditate. 

The night air was cool, refreshing, as he realized that he'd been sweating. That meant a nightmare, but at least he wasn't remembering this one. He knelt on the balcony, the tiles feeling cool against his skin. He closed his eyes, and began controlling his breathing. He spread out his consciousness, taking in most of the Temple. He felt the absence of Luke, Mara and Jaz acutely, and he let his mind drift to his parent's room. _Mom just got home. I thought Dad had talked her into taking it easy._ He felt his father wake, and suddenly his parents became much less interesting. He continued to explore the Temple with his thoughts, but trying not to intrude on anyone. He let his mind drift through the Room of a Thousand Fountains, and touched the mind of one of the fish in the fishpond; he'd given it a name, but it escaped him right that moment.

A large part of him wished he could go back to the simplicity of the days when the most important thing was what to name one of the fish. There was really no telling how many names that poor fish had.

Cedric found the simplicity of the fish's mind relaxing, it really only cared about two things. Food and food. For some reason, the fish had two categories of food, but he wasn't a fish, so he really couldn't tell the difference. He wondered briefly if the fish was messing with him, but dismissed the notion, as the fish wasn't any where near that intelligent. He decided that the fish was confused. He'd decided that before, but remembering was emotionally soothing. He'd often found that simple childhood memories were the most effective anchors for him. His troubled mind was nearly calm enough that he thought he would actually be able to go back to sleep when he sensed _her._

* * *

Luke and Mara went out to a fairly heavily forested area not far from the ship. He felt a spike of intention, and then a snowball hit him from the side. 

He made a snowball behind her, which hit her with enough force to knock her into his waiting arms, and she pushed him into the snow, since he was being mean about it, and he rolled on top of her. "Hey, let me up."

"Not until you promise to behave yourself," he said with a glint of humor in his eye.

"I'll do no such thing," she protested, and he kissed her, distracting her enough that he could send tendrils of the Force along her sides to tickle her.

"Ok, ok," she conceded through her giggles. "I was hoping that you wouldn't remember that particular trick."

"Why? It's fun," he said as he grinned.

"Why do I put up with you?"

"'Cause you love me. It's the only thing that makes sense."

"Are you going to let me up?"

"When you promise to behave."

"I promise."

"Good," he said and he kissed her again, letting the passion that had been rekindled between them the day before back out again.

"I thought we were hunting," she said as he broke the kiss off, and kissed the tip of her nose.

"We are. But that doesn't mean that we can't have fun."

"And I thought I was the one that needed to behave."

He stood and offered her his hand, which she took. "You are. I don't do snowballs as well as you do."

"I somehow doubt that," she grinned at him, and they got down to the business of the hunt.

They trekked through the small forest, winding their way to the foot of a cliff, where a six-legged herbivore had gotten trapped under a small avalanche, and was nearly frozen to death. Luke sighed, igniting his blade and giving it a quick death. He cut the poor beast open, leaving what they wouldn't need for the carrion eaters of the planet. He butchered the animal and they hauled their catch back to the ship. They had been gone most of the day, and Luke was eager to check on Jasmine's progress.

Once they arrived back at the ship, he stuck his head into the tech bay, "Hey, Little Bit. How's it going?"

"I think I've got everything picked out, but I'm having issues with the power source."

"Like what?"

"It's too big."

"Well, if you really needed to, you could strip the insulating coating off, but I really don't think that's a good idea."

She tilted her head for a moment, "No, I think that's just what it needs. I think that the crystal will act as it's own insulation, if that makes sense."

"I can't say, but if the Force is guiding you in this, I would trust your instincts." He picked the power source that she'd left out, holding on to the tip that stuck out, and peeled the insulation back from it. He slipped the much narrower cylinder out of the casing, handing it back to her.

"Thank you, this is perfect."

"Have you eaten at all while we were gone?"

"No, Master."

He shook his head. "Come on, let's get something to eat, then you can continue if you like."

"Yes, Master. I don't think this will take all that long."

"It took you an entire day to pick out the parts that you wanted to use."

"That's the hard part, Master. It's much easier to put them together once you find the right parts."

"Alright, let's go eat."

* * *

Sev'rance Tann jumped down from where she left her ship hovering thirty meters or so above the Skywalker's balcony. "What's so important about the fish?" 

"It is soothing," he said as he rose from the position that he'd been meditating in. She was close to him and he didn't move away from her immediately. He was as tall as she, now.

"How can a fish be soothing?" She asked, her breath caught a little by just how much she liked the way that he looked in that moment. Her eyes were caught by his, and then how perfectly his hair framed his face, then her eyes trailed down his braid, where the beads that it held winked in the low light as his bare chest moved them with each breath that he took.

"Happier memories."

"Don't I invoke happy memories?" she asked curiously. The man standing in front of her was one that she wanted to be happy. A small bit of fear came with the realization that she would rather leave than cause him to be unhappy, but she quelled the feeling quickly.

"No, you invoke painful memories, not to mention a painful present."

"So my presence is painful to you?" She felt something unfamiliar as she asked the question. She didn't know what the emotion was, but she knew that she didn't like it.

"Yes," he said, as he looked her dead in the eye.

"Yet you don't ask that I leave," and yet another unfamiliar emotion raged through her as she said it, although she could identify this one: hope.

"I can't save you if I ask you to leave." He walked over to the railing, looking out onto the night.

"Save me? From what?"

"Yourself."

"Why would I need saved from myself?"

"Because you are on a destructive path. I would say self-destructive, but you never do anything small enough to destroy only yourself."

"And why would I want to destroy myself?" she was both curious and slightly afraid at the direction that the conversation was taking. She was supposed to be trying to get him into bed with her, not being put on the couch by him.

"You don't want to. You aren't suicidal, at least not yet. However, your actions will eventually lead to your destruction, as it does with all who follow the dark path."

"You just don't understand. Your mind is too full of Jedi dogma."

"I know what happened at the Senate. I know there was a Sith involved. My mother was there."

"How do you know that her perspective is accurate? You have never seen a Sith in person, except for me."

"True, and the first time that we met, you tried to rape me." He had turned to look at her, lounging against the rail, finally giving her his undivided attention. His blue eyes captured her gaze again, but she shook it off; she had a mission to accomplish.

Tann now saw an opening; maybe if she acted contrite, she could get what she wanted. A tear started to roll down her cheek, and she bowed her head, playing her part to the hilt. "I'm sorry for that," she told him, and somehow she didn't have to fake the quiver in her voice, which scared her more than she wanted to admit.

"Let the light into your life," he told her simply. He couldn't possibly believe that it was that simple.

"What is light?"

"Love."

"You've never experienced love," she said, almost defiant, almost challenging.

"Yes I have," he said, and the words stung in a way that she'd never felt before. More tears came to her eyes, this time unbidden.

"When?"

"Every day, from the day that I was born. I've been surrounded by it, and it lights my way," these words acted as a soothing balm to the sting that the previous words had caused. She felt so silly. He wasn't going to abandon her for someone else.

"Do you love me?"

"That's a complicated question. It's also loaded and unfair."

"How is it complicated? It seems pretty simple to me. Yes or no, which is it?" she wet her lips slowly with her tongue, and took a step toward him.

He didn't say anything right away, but sighed after a moment, "The simple answer is yes," he said and a thrill ran up her spine, yet another unfamiliar feeling in a night of unfamiliar feelings, but he put a damper on that feeling almost immediately with his next statement. "However, the love that I feel for you is made up of many feelings, among which are the feelings of compassion that I feel for all of those who suffer."

Some part of her felt strangled. She was angry, _how dare he pity her!_ But even that wasn't the thing that she felt the most. She was hurt, that what he felt was not the…love that she felt for him. "Is that all?" her voice almost betraying the fear at what the answer could be.

"If it was, it wouldn't be complicated. If things were different, and you were not Sith, I would…" his voice was heavy with emotions that she couldn't identify, but she saw color rise to his cheeks.

"You would what?"

"I would want…" he faltered again, the blush deepening as he looked down, and she finally understood. He would want her. She kept a smile of victory off of her face, but she had him now. And she would have him tonight.

* * *

The next day Luke looked in on Jasmine from time to time. _She sure is a trooper, _he thought. She had been working on her lightsaber non-stop since breakfast; she'd gotten up after only four hours of sleep though. Luke was concerned about that, but he figured that the sooner she got it done the sooner she'd get back on a normal sleep schedule. However he kept checking on her to make sure she wasn't making mistakes due to exhaustion. He was very impressed with what she was doing as well. She was using the Force to insert each of the components. She was demonstrating a very advanced level of control in her use of the Force. 

"Its amazing isn't it?" Mara asked quietly coming up behind him with a sandwich. He took a bite and thought once again that the herbivore tasted pretty good, Luke made a mental note to give Dex a sample of the meat.

"Yes it is. The level of control she's showing is amazing."

"She will be asked about that lightsaber a lot. As reserved as she is, does she know that?"

"I'm more concerned that she hasn't eaten anything since breakfast and she's been at this for eight straight hours already."

"So, make her take a break."

"I can't. She's wrapped up in a cocoon of Force energy. She's in a deep meditation, so tight that the bond is closed off, I don't even think she can hear us. I've never seen anything like it. I wish Master Qui-Gon were here to advise me."

She kissed his cheek, "You are doing great with her, Luke. No one else would've been able to pull her out of her shell as much as you have as quickly, if ever."

"I suppose you're right."

"Of course I am. Now come to the dining room, you need to relax a little bit."

"Huh?"

"She's gonna be like that for a while, Luke. Its bad enough that she's burning the torch at both ends, she doesn't need her Master doing the same thing."

Luke nodded and followed his wife to the dining room where they sat and talked about some of the new memories he'd come up with the previous night. Hours passed and Luke went to check on his Padawan and found her still deep in the trance, he stood there for a while watching her work. The lightsaber was quite beautiful, bronze only now veins of dark violet were spreading through the crystal. He could also sense that Jasmine was energizing the hilt of the saber the same way the focusing crystal was normally energized, and Luke had no idea just how it would affect the weapon.

Mara wrapped her arms around his waist, the warmth of her skin cutting through the slight chill he was feeling, and he patted her hand, intending to watch Jasmine for a little while longer. "Come to bed. It will do her no good for you to be exhausted, too."

Luke considered her words for a moment, but she was right. "I'm just worried about her. She's never done anything like this. Then again, I don't think that anyone has done anything like this."

"And if she needs you, she will need you to be well rested and able to help her, not exhausted because you couldn't trust her to do what she needs to do."

Luke turned to face her, and sighed. "You are right. I've just never done this from this side before, and she's not your ordinary Padawan."

"If she was ordinary, she wouldn't be your Padawan. I know you, Luke, and you wouldn't be satisfied with anyone but the hardest case in the Temple. You just don't know how to do anything small, sweetheart."

Luke chuckled to himself, thinking about how he'd gotten started on his adventure four years ago, blowing the first Death Star.

"What's so funny?"

"Something you don't remember, but you're right."

"Tell me, please." She looked up at him, her green eyes intent with curiosity.

"I suppose I can. When I was nineteen, I blew up a space station the size of a class four moon, it was mobile, it blew up planets, and they called it the Death Star."

"It blew up planets? It was the size of what? And it could move? You did blow this thing up before they could use it on a planet didn't you?"

"Yes it could; it was huge; it moved, just like any other starship; and I saw the destruction that it could reek on a planet first hand. It was 'tested' on Alderaan, with Leia watching."

"That's horrible. You don't think that the Sith would try to build something like that now, do you?"

"The Death Star was a huge project, and the Empire devoted a huge chunk of resources to it. I don't see how the Sith would be able to accomplish that, much less operate it after they built it. Let's go to bed."

* * *

Obi-Wan winced as Jae did another impossible turn, trying to keep up with her sister. Obi-Wan regretted agreeing to go flying with Julia and Master Tiin. It was almost worse than riding with Anakin. Then as Jaedrea clipped a skywalk, he determined that, yes it was actually worse than riding with her father. At least her father was good. He'd never hit anything. "Jaedrea! Pay attention!" 

"I am Master, but she's three klicks ahead of us, we have to catch her."

"No, my anxious Padawan, you are not paying attention, at least not to what you should be. Focus on your flying, and the rest will come."

"Yes, Master."

"Don't you use that tone of voice with me, young lady. Your father is the only one allowed to use that tone of voice with me, and that is just because he's a Master."

Jaedrea giggled.

"It's not funny. This is serious business, at least your father understood that."

"But I'm having fun, Master."

"That is all well and good, Jaedrea, but you must focus your attention to what you are doing. If you do not, innocent people could be hurt someday."

"Yes, Master." After a few minutes of flying in silence, Obi-Wan felt a distinct tremor in the Force, and through his whole being, as if his very soul were on fire. Then he heard the screams in his mind, followed abruptly by sudden silence. "Take us home, Jae, I feel something terrible has happened."


	10. Sabe and Kitster

**AN:**

**Charlie Hayden:** Yes.

**rimera:**Probably not.

**TriGemini:** Yes, Jaedrea is her father's child.

* * *

Chapter 9

Luke woke, intent on his immediate surroundings, but found that there was something far worse going on. He breathed in and out once in an effort to calm the maelstrom of emotions that he was engulfed in. Something terrible had happened, but he wasn't sure what. He worked to center himself within the Force; they would need to get back quickly, he wasn't now sure that they would be able to have the luxury of the time that Jasmine wanted to spend there.

He was suddenly anxious to check on Jasmine. Mara had been determined that he wouldn't get up without her there to drag him back to bed, and was practically laying on top of him. He wasn't above Force-suggesting sleep on her, but if it was going to come to that, he might as well have her awake. He sighed, and didn't try to hide his waking from her; he didn't need to get himself out of her good graces; that was easily enough done anyway.

"I'm going to go check on her," he whispered to her sleepy form. She would come get him if she thought that he was taking too long, of that he had no doubt. He extracted himself from her protective embrace, and went into the tech bay. He noticed first that her lightsaber was sitting on the workbench in front of her, apparently finished, considering that her head was lying on her folded arms. He took the opportunity to examine her lightsaber. It didn't look like a lightsaber, at least not initially. He supposed that was mostly the color. For the most part, the crystal had become the deep shade of violet that he'd seen her energizing it to. What ought to have been switches were rearranged parts of the crystal, but these were still the original bronze, she'd put more switches on it than he knew what to do with, but there were uses for a fourth button, he just didn't know what hers was supposed to do.

He considered briefly whether he wanted to try it or not; he decided against it, since he trusted that she knew what she was doing, and that she could show him later. He clipped it to his belt next to his own lightsaber, and picked her up, cradling her slight form against his chest. He carried her into the cabin next to his, took her boots and her belt off, he clipped the new lightsaber to her belt, curling it up and laying it on the headboard. He tucked her into the blankets, and headed into the cockpit to lift the ship off, glad that he hadn't had to interrupt her work.

* * *

Leia barely had time for anything not related to the twins. She had classes on parenting, classes on Jedi parenting, her training with Chewie, and a class in the pool. She took a little bit of time for herself, though; she wanted to have lunch with her mother. In between her parenting classes, she was supposed to have time for a quick bite, but she couldn't leave the Temple, so she decided to skip one, and kidnap her mother. 

She walked into the Chancellor's office, and the whole staff was in a flurry of activity. Bail was there, having retreated from the center of the chaos. "What's going on?" she asked.

"Hmm? Oh, Leia," he said as he noticed her. "Your mother has decided to dismiss her Economics Staff, and her Trade Staff. She would have done it sooner, but she wanted to have replacements ready before she did."

"Really? Why is she doing that?"

"Apparently your brother made a rather interesting presentation to her and the Jedi Council a few weeks ago. Cedric is a very bright young man, and he put together a rather alarming string of events. Since he did what they could not, she's getting rid of the whole lot, and starting fresh."

"I hadn't heard about this. I'll have to ask him about it."

"Well, I'm sure you'll get more detail from him, but apparently it boils down to the Sith are isolating the Outer Rim."

Leia paled a little bit. "Do you think I can still steal her for lunch? This is important, I don't want to interrupt."

"I would encourage it; she doesn't relax enough. It's done, but this is just everyone trying to get her to change her mind."

"Thanks. Are you going to head off the crowd for her while she's gone then?"

"I'm sure that won't be necessary. She won't change her mind, so there's not much that I can do for them, and they won't be satisfied until they've tried everyone they can to appeal to reason on this, but the problem is that she sees this as reasonable."

"Do you?"

"I do see her reasons."

"But it isn't the decision that you would have made?"

"Oh, no, I would have done exactly the same thing. I've seen the presentation."

"So it's bad?"

"Someone should have caught it."

"How's the press spinning this?"

"Some are praising the action as a long-needed house-cleaning; some are condemning this as completely unnecessary. The rest are just reporting it. The usual."

"Thanks, I'll go get her now," she said with a quick kiss on the cheek for the man she still thought of as her father.

* * *

That morning, Mara fought the urge to ask more questions than Jasmine would be comfortable with, but she was curious, and Jasmine was, at least now, talking to her, an improvement over even the day that Luke brought her home. She tried to keep it simple, while Luke was cooking for them again. "So is it finished?" 

"I think so. I need to test it, and I might need to make some adjustments to it, but it is ready for me to try out, at least."

"Are you going to be able to talk about it to other people? I'm sure they will be curious about it."

She looked down, realizing that Mara was right. "I don't know if I can talk to other people about it. I don't think I will too much."

"But you're talking to me about it," Mara pointed out.

"That's different. You aren't other people."

"What do you mean by that?"

"You're my sister," Jaz said, as though it should be the most obvious thing in the galaxy, but Mara was touched beyond words by her blatant acceptance of her place in the family. She gathered Jaz up in a hug, which the girl accepted, but wiggled out of rather quickly.

"Can I see your lightsaber?"

"Yes," she said, some of her innate shyness coming back over her. She picked up the lightsaber and handed it over to Mara.

The grip part of the handle had narrowed considerably, to accommodate her tiny hands, but Mara could feel that the crystal flowed, and would continue to adjust to Jasmine's grip as the years passed. It was an interesting concept, but considering how unusual her lightsaber was to begin with, she doubted that there would be a very practical application for the discovery. "So what does each of your buttons do?"

"This is the on switch, intensity dial, length dial, and this one switches the matrix."

"Switches it?"

"Yeah. It makes it safe."

"Can you show me later?" she asked as Luke set plates in front of them.

Jasmine nodded, and tried the food. It looked like eggs with several different things chopped up and mixed in. She tried it as well; it was good. She looked over at Luke, who was not acting right. He seemed closed off, troubled; it was not unlike how he had acted right after he'd gotten back from his last mission. It troubled her, but she didn't want to say anything about it in front of Jasmine. She really ought to have known better, though, as well as she was finally getting to know the little girl. "Master, what's wrong?"

"I'm not sure, Jasmine," he answered her, and Mara remembered him saying something about it being absolutely pointless to try to hide their feelings from her. She was perceptive beyond what even most Jedi Masters were.

She looked up at the ceiling for a few seconds. "Daddy's worried too. I can't tell about anyone else from this far out."

Luke looked at her like she'd said something interesting. "I'll see if he knows anything."

Mara reached across the table to him, and he squeezed her hand. "I'm ok, it's just a feeling that something somewhere is very, very wrong," he told her, and she felt silly for needing the reassurance that he hadn't started worrying about her or the baby again.

* * *

Leia kept herself quite busy, and she'd started to get up around dawn, which seemed to be the proper time for meditation. But by the time that dinner was finished, she could do little beyond her evening meditation. She considered her pool class more or less busy work, to keep her active while she was so big, without putting too much strain on her body. She was happy to be finally settling back into a routine that was actually starting to feel familiar to her. 

She hadn't had time to slow down for long at all. She missed Luke, and she missed Han, but both of them were supposed to be home soon. She'd had dinner with Chewie after her lesson with him, the last thing that she was scheduled for during the day. He escorted her back to her quarters, opening the door, as she was still speaking to him. "I don't know, Chewie, I just can't figure it out. It's hard with Luke gone," she flipped the light in the 'fresher on, and started running a bath.

Chewie growled something, but she couldn't quite make it out over the rushing water. "What about me?" she heard a familiarly sensual voice ask before she could answer Chewie, as her husband wrapped his arms around her very swollen belly.

She twisted in his arms so that she could kiss him, to show him exactly how much she'd missed him. "Was Chewie saying hi to you?"

"Yeah. He said he was proud that I returned intact."

"I'm happy you got home in time."

"In time for what?"

"For these two, of course," she said, rubbing her tummy. She looked over her shoulder to see that the tub wasn't over-filling, but it was just about full.

"Am I invited?" he asked as she turned off the water.

"If you want. I need to soak; my muscles are so sore."

"What have they got you doing to make you sore so close to the end of your pregnancy?"

A slight flush crept up her cheeks. "It's not their fault."

"So what are you doing to make yourself so sore?"

"I'll tell you about it later."

"When you aren't so sore?"

"Yes," she said, backing away from him after another long kiss so that she could undress.

* * *

Cedric buried his head under the covers. "Cedric, it's time to get up!" Liz said through his door. He'd been having another dream about _her_, although it was actually taking a nice turn. She was sorry for what she'd done, and he'd been comforting her, and…other things. He hadn't had a dream that specific before. He shook himself, because that was exactly what it was, a nice dream. He despaired that she would ever be what he needed her to be. It would take a miracle to make it happen. He got up, and started getting ready for his day.

* * *

Jasmine was excited about the actual Ceremony; it was an acknowledgement that she and Luke were Master and Padawan, and it only included the Jedi on the Council, since her father was already a part of that, and her mother. If he hadn't been on the Council, he still would have been included. Both parents nearly always attended, and she'd convinced her mother that she didn't need to bring all of her children with her. 

Jasmine came to the conclusion that her parents had too many children to lead the kind of lives that they led. She didn't like that conclusion, but it seemed correct nonetheless. It was sometime after she had turned four when she'd started to sense it. Her mother had relinquished her possessiveness for the triplets. They belonged to the Temple, more than they did to her. It did not escape her notice that her fourth birthday also happened to be the day that she'd gotten elected to the Chancellorship.

She wondered at that for a little while. They'd had such a large family, when most Jedi with families had been content with three or four. There were a couple of other big families, and every one of those children, herself and her siblings included, were welcomed with open arms into the greater Jedi family. She considered it for a moment. Her mother had never really set out to have so many children, that was a biological predisposition. She was going to have her third set of twins soon, thus soon she would no longer be the youngest.

She wasn't bothered by this fact, although it had been her station for nine years; actually, she was sort of excited by the impending event. She would have someone around who would listen to her for a change. She wouldn't try to rub it in their faces, the way that Jae had her. Maybe Luke was right. Maybe she needed to let Jae fall on her face until she did learn. Her new siblings would be interesting, at least. She could tell that much from their force signatures. Nothing like her soon-to-be niece, but interesting in their own right.

The Ceremony was about to begin, bringing her out of her thoughts. She looked up at Luke, who gave her an encouraging smile. _I can do this,_ she repeated to her self as she prepared to step into the center of the Council Chamber, and to speak in front of the largest group of people she'd ever spoken in front of in her entire life.

She listened to the Vow of the Master, as it was recited for Luke to repeat, "I vow that I will guide my Padawan on their path in this life; to teach them and to learn from them; to protect them, and teach them to protect others; and to show them the truth of the Force in all things. This I vow of my free will, as guided by the Force."

Her Vow was shorter, thankfully, but it still took an effort to get it out. "I vow to obey my Master, and to learn the lessons that he teaches as he guides my journey, for our two paths are now one. This I vow of my free will, as guided by the Force."

Master Windu turned to her father, their father. "Do you accept the will of the Force in this matter?"

"Yes, this is the will of the Force," he answered.

Then Master Windu turned to their mother. "Do you accept the will of the Force in this matter?"

"If Jasmine is happy, I'm happy," her mother said quietly.

"Then it is done." Master Windu declared. He handed her the lightsaber that she had constructed. "Here is your lightsaber; may it always light the true path for you."

* * *

Anakin watched with amusement as the party Padmé had planned was conducted in the Grand Hall. He wouldn't have imagined seeing such a thing in his lifetime, until about six weeks previous. He'd gotten his Padmé back. After that, anything was possible, including the biggest party he'd ever seen, for the shyest child they had had together. He felt that it was partly his fault. Had he paid enough attention to her? Had he loved her enough? 

She was apparently coming into her own, according to Luke. It felt odd to him that Luke actually knew more about her than he did, but they'd been close before, and were bonded now, so the surprise shouldn't really be, but it was still there. Almost every Master had reported experiencing this disconcerting feeling of wrongness somewhere. A number of them had also reported, as Obi-Wan and he had, a great shock of fear through the Force, then sudden silence. He could remember what it had felt like when Alderaan was hit. He'd shielded himself as tightly inside his shields as he could when it happened, and it was still thousands of times more powerful than the wave that they had experienced about a week ago. Luke was among only a handful of Knights who had reported the same experience as the majority of Masters, and he was by far the youngest. It was an indication that he'd learned far more in the four years he'd fought for the Rebellion than he'd previously appraised his son as having done. Or maybe it had been his experiences in the past. Or the combination of the two.

He broke out of his reverie as the two of them approached him. "How are you today, Padawan Skywalker?" he asked, and was happy to see how she fairly glowed through the Force.

"Fine Daddy," she whispered, but he heard her. He always did.

"We need to talk about what happened last week," Luke said.

"I agree. Later though," he knelt, folding himself so that he was Jaz's height. "First though, I want to see that Lightsaber of yours."

She drew it out of the folds of cloth that it hid in, something that was sometimes necessary for Jedi to do, but she'd had the alteration made to all of her clothes. The deep violet hilt surprised him; then again, Leia had seen it necessary to plate her lightsaber in jade, so it wasn't exactly strange for his children to sport exotic looking weapons.

When he touched it, he realized that it wasn't plated in this violet crystal; it was made from it, through and through. "Wizard," he said, with all the wonder he'd ever said the word with, igniting the lightsaber briefly, to see the blade, which mimicked the crystal, a bronze core with a violet-shaded glow, and his deep examination of it told him a great deal about it.

He flipped the blade off, scooping Jasmine up in a hug. "I do believe that you are my child, after all," he said, teasing.

"Silly Daddy! I just am quiet."

"Yes you are, and woe to any who underestimate you. You will be a powerful Jedi someday, Jasmine," he handed her lightsaber back as he set her down and ruffled her hair affectionately, and Jaz beamed at the heartfelt praise from her father.

Anakin felt that Luke was about to send her back into the gauntlet, when something disrupted the party. He directed himself toward the disruption, and Jaz and Luke came with him. He grinned when he found the source of the trouble; His first grandchildren had announced their immanent arrival. He didn't even pause when Leia's look told him that she was not amused. He assumed a slightly calmer demeanor, so that he didn't upset her. She was still quite touchy. Her private life and her public life had both been thrown into upheaval. He had only had his life given back to him, and Luke had only had Mara to deal with. "Come on, Princess. Let's get you down to the Healers," he said and he offered her his hand. He only half expected her to take it, if even that much, but she did.

He smiled, and Luke went to the other side of her, and the two of them helped her out of the room, and Jasmine trailed behind them, radiating thankfulness that she'd been permitted to escape the party. "Jasmine, do you think you could find Han?" Luke asked when they were in a quieter hall.

"He was across the room, but someone told him what was going on. Someone will make sure that he gets where he needs to. He's been to the Healer's before," Jaz informed him, and Luke laughed.

"I'm really sorry about your party, Jasmine," Leia said.

Jasmine looked at her quizzically. "Don't be," was her only response.

Leia radiated puzzlement at that, but contractions kept her busy for the next few minutes, as they got her situated under the care of the Healers.

Once she was settled, Jaz crawled up onto the foot of the bed, and he and Luke tried to settle themselves nearby.

"Aren't you going back to your party?" Leia asked.

Jaz wrinkled her nose. "No. You don't remember me yet, do you?"

The shock on Leia's face made Anakin laugh. "I wonder sometimes if the shyness is an act," he said.

Luke looked amused as well, but he hadn't laughed, at least. "I think she's had more to worry about than you, Little Bit."

"I know." Jasmine said. "But she should at least remember something about me."

"Don't pout. She'll remember in her own time. Leia, I'm sorry. This really isn't the time for this discussion," He said with a pointed look at his Padawan.

The door opened, admitting the soon-to-be father.Chewbacca was right on his heels, howling what could only be a Wookiee birthing song. Leia smiled at him, having spent a good chunk of each day with him for the last few weeks. Anakin was sure that the next person through the door would be Padmé, but it was instead, Leia's Master.

Anakin stayed out of the way, as Aayla Secura took his daughter's hand. The last person in the room was Padmé, who took up position near the head of the bed, and she kissed Leia's forehead in greeting. The healer came in then, insisting that he, Chewbacca, Luke and Jasmine leave. He took this in stride, knowing from his own experiences that the less people that were in there, the less stressed Leia would be. He opened the door to leave, only to be assaulted by the rest of his children, and bombarded with questions as to her condition.

"She's fine. It's going to be quite some time. Sit down and relax, before you wind up thrown out of the whole Healer's Hall."

Jaedrea paled slightly at the thought. She sat down, and concentrated very hard on not moving, so much so that she was twitching. He sat down across from her, and Jaz crawled up in his lap, giggling softly at her sister's discomfort.

* * *

Anakin looked at Luke as the two of them sat in the common room of Luke's quarters. "I believe that the only conclusion that the Council has come to over the last week is that you far surpass your peers in power. There are only a couple of Knights who sensed even something amiss, but your description is like that of most of the Masters around who are not on the Council." 

"Does that make me a Master?"

"In power, probably, but you will also grow into an additional level of power, later, like Obi-Wan, or Qui-Gon."

"And you?" Anakin nodded, acknowledging that he also had that level of power, though it was more like a level of control for him. "So, what is your opinion on this event?"

"Death Star. They've hit somewhere small and remote, testing it. It was fainter than Alderaan, but I was right on top of that event. Yet it felt the same, just more distant. They probably tested it on Endor or Dantooine, maybe, the target was a living world.

"Of more concern is who would have the resources to waste on one. From what I've gathered from your memories of Alderaan's destruction, and how distraught Ben was over it, and how Obi-Wan is acting now, I'd say that it's just a smaller scale of what was done before, fewer sapients."

"I didn't feel anything; Ben had just introduced me to the whole concept of the Force," Luke sighed, "It feels so weird to have two sets of memories for any given moment in time. On one hand, when I was nineteen, I had only just been introduced to the Force, and had only seen one holo of my sister, and lived on Tatooine all my life, while on the other hand, I was a senior Padawan, teaching people older than I was techniques that I'm not entirely sure I could do today, and had never lived anywhere but Coruscant, except visits with our Grandparents."

"I understand, Luke. I just wish Leia would talk to one of us. She's having more problems with this than both of us put together, I think. I worry for her."

"I think she's not entirely ready to let go of what happened in the other reality. I'll talk with her, if I can get her away from Han. I don't think she's told him, not that I blame her."

Anakin chuckled, "Yes, telling your husband that you don't remember him as being quite as respectable as he is doesn't sound like a good way to keep a relationship on the up and up."

"You told Mom, though."

"Well, that's different. She knew before she married me that there was at least a chance that this would happen. And she met me, while we were in the past, although I don't know if she realized it at the time. And you told Mara, but she's also a Jedi. She's bound to take it better than Han. You simply hadn't met her, that's different, too."

"I remember. I think Mom would have figured it out, eventually, putting everything together."

"It's probable. Did you know that I was never told about the truth behind the two of you?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, when I was nine, I met you and Leia, and I knew that you were special, but I didn't know how. I connected with you, but I didn't know why. When we left, my nine-year-old self was left wondering where you were, and why you left. Obi-Wan told me the truth, that the three of us were from the future. I asked him if I would ever see the two of you again, and he told me that he thought so. I never understood, until I became me."

"If I hadn't gone through the same thing, that would have been confusing."

"It's still confusing. Padmé never said anything about it either. I don't really blame her; I don't think I would have believed her."

"I'm sure that I wouldn't have either, but it's still weird."

* * *

Luke woke to Jasmine's restlessness. He threw shields up around her mind, which calmed her almost immediately. He had become attuned to her moods over the last few weeks, as they were a very important part of who she was. She settled back into a deeper level of sleep under his protection as he sought the reason that she'd nearly been woken, since the source was obviously external, not internal, or his shields wouldn't have helped. _Cedric,_ he thought as he found the source of anguish. He pulled a shirt on, and padded out to the balcony barefoot. 

"Cedric," he said, crossing his arms and leaning against the side of the building.

He looked up at Luke, a slight blush covering his cheeks. "Sorry."

"You nearly woke my Padawan up."

He looked very ashamed of himself, "I didn't mean to."

"I think that you need to talk to someone about this. It's becoming a problem."

"I don't need to talk to anyone else," he said defensively.

"As much as I love seeing the sunrise over Coruscant, I don't think that this is at all good for you."

"Promise me that you won't tell anybody about this," he said, sounding almost desperate.

"I can't promise you that, Cedric. I don't think I'm capable of helping you at this point, and you are defiantly in need of help. I'll be careful who I tell, and maybe we can get you sorted out. You don't have to go through this alone, Cedric, but you seem to be insisting on it."

"I don't know that I understand what's going on, so it's hard to explain to someone else."

"And since I'm not demanding every detail, because I know what it's like to deal with the emotional turmoil of loving someone who's let that demon into their soul, it's easier to talk to me."

"I guess," he said, not sounding sure of himself.

"I think you need to talk about exactly what happened with someone. There are obviously some lingering issues with what's been going on."

The averted eyes told Luke that he'd struck a chord. He wrapped his arms around his little brother, letting the boy get a good cry. He was so conflicted inside, almost like the understanding that he shared with her went too deep.

* * *

Leia enjoyed the respite from visitors. Everyone it seemed had turned out to congratulate her on the twins; even Bail had stopped by, though she suspected her mother might have had something to do with that. 

Han had locked the door, warning off anyone but the Healers as they enjoyed their new family. "So what are we going to call them?"

This debate had been going on since they'd found out. "I was thinking that we could call her Sabé," she felt, and she wasn't quite certain how, his confusion.

"Sabé, huh? Sabé Solo," he said testing it out on the little girl he held in his arms. She cooed with delight as he said her name. "Well, she seems to like it." He held her for a little bit longer, while he waited for her to finish feeding the little boy.

They switched, which ended up being a lot more complicated for the new parents than it had initially sounded. They figured out a system, though, and she fed Sabé while they talked about the boy's name.

"I'm rather partial to Han Solo, Jr."

She laughed at him; it was an option he'd been bringing up since the beginning. "I don't see him cooing over it, so I don't think so."

He didn't seem too disappointed, which she took as a good sign. "Jacen?" he asked, but that didn't feel right either. _Maybe later on_.

"No, that's not right," she said, then she thought about one of the people that she'd met on her trip in the past, and smiled. Her daughter was named for one of her mother's friends; could not her son be named for one of her father's? "Kitster," she pronounced.

"Kitster Solo?" he asked disbelievingly, but the baby cooed delightedly over his new name, much to Han's shock. "Alright, kid, but don't blame me when the other kids beat you up 'cause you've got such a funny name."

"I don't think that will be a problem in Initiate Training," she told him, but a memory popped into her head of the first day that Mara was in their class, and the bruises that her brother had sported when they went home that night, but she dismissed it as the beginnings of love.

"Eh, probably not. Kitster, huh? I guess I can call you that. Hey, honey?"

"Yes?"

"You don't think he understands me do you?"

"I don't know. I remember a couple of things from when I was this young; it's possible."

Han looked a little worried. "I don't know that I like that."

"It's ok. It's more just feelings, images, knowing that I was loved."

"How do you know it's from so far back?"

"I just do," she said, not wanting to get into the details of a life very much different from the one she was now living.

Han looked at her skeptically, but let it drop, turning to a more serious topic. "I got a letter from Lando, and I think he's in trouble."

"Let me see it," she said, taking the datapad that he handed her, and read the short letter. "It sounds like a desperate cry for help."

"What can we do about it?"

"I'm not sure. Why don't you ask Dad?" she asked as she handed the datapad back to him. Just because she didn't feel like talking with him, didn't mean that Han had to stay away from him, too.

"If you'll recall, he's never been exactly happy with our relationship."

"Oh, I'm sure he's forgotten about that. Besides, this is important enough that he'll listen."

"I'm not sure…"

"I am. He is a reasonable man, if you give him a chance to be," _maybe I should take my own advice. _He remained unconvinced, but readied himself for a talk with the intimidating Jedi Master.

* * *

Celia pulled Cedric aside before breakfast. "Cedric," she hissed into his ear. "We need to talk." 

He looked at her, and she was shocked by how run-down he looked, like he hadn't been sleeping well. "What, Celia?" he asked, clearly not wanting to talk to her.

"You look terrible. I'm worried about you. You haven't recovered from whatever happened on Berma Pleaix. If anything, you've gotten worse. Something's going on, and I want to know what. You've shut yourself off from me, and it hurts Cedric," tears brimmed in her eyes.

"I'm talking with Luke about it. I don't need to talk to anyone else about it," he informed her sullenly.

"I wish you would. A burden shared is halved."

"And I'm already sharing. I'll be fine, sis," he turned away from her, and she couldn't help herself. She burst into tears, and ran from the room, rounding a corner, straight into Luke.

"Go ahead, I'll catch up," he said to Mara and Jaz. He turned to her, "So what's up with you?"

"Cedric, he won't talk to me," she curled herself into his embrace. He tucked her under one arm, guiding her to a nearby bench.

"He's been deeply troubled," Luke said noncommittally.

"He said he's been talking to you, though."

"I don't know that I would say he's been exactly open with me, either," Luke said, sounding a bit frustrated.

"But at least he's said something to you. He shut down, for whatever reason, on Berma Pleaix. And it's getting worse. Something else has happened, but he's so far inside his shell that I really have no idea what."

"I was about to talk to Dad about this. He's too young to be pulling this 'I can handle it by myself' poodoo."

"What are you going to do?"

"I don't know. That's up to Dad. I hope we can scare him straight, but I don't know how much it will take to do that."

"He doesn't show it like the rest of us, but he's got a deep stubborn streak. I've talked to Master Allie and to Master Ti about him, but it hasn't helped; they think I'm over-reacting, or at least that was the impression that I got."

"I know. No one's been making him talk about it, and it's something that needs to be dealt with. And remember, Dad's just as stubborn. And someone's got to get through to him," and with that Celia sighed, relieved that someone was going to try to fix her twin.

"Thanks Luke. I'm glad that you care about us so much."

"What else is a big brother for?"

"I don't know. I know little brothers are stinkers, that's for sure."

Luke laughed, and she was able to laugh with him. Luke would do everything in his power to make sure that Cedric started healing, instead of letting the wounds of his heart fester.


	11. The Temple Draped in Black

**AN: Finally a chapter. I'm halfish way through the next chapter, and most of what I _haven't_ written is dealing with the repercussions of what happens in this chapter. It's sad. **

**TriGemini: There is, unfortunately, very little that anyone can realistically do about the problems on the Outer Rim, since things have devolved so far without anyone noticing the greater pattern.**

**LokiGirl, Cibbler: I'm so glad that you like my OCs. When I started this story, the only one who actually had been quite clearly defined was Jae, of all people. I hate like anything to see a new name slapped on an old character, so I do try to make sure that they all have their own little quirks. **

**Teresa: Cedric isn't going to see Tann for a little while, and he's going to get some serious lessons about how life as a Jedi works. She's going to be a little bit busy...but we'll get to that later.  
**

* * *

Chapter 10

Anakin was surprised to find Han at his door. He didn't quite remember why he wasn't on the best of terms with his son-in-law, but it remained that he wasn't a good friend to him. He hadn't wanted to ask anyone about it, and the memory had remained elusive. "Hello, Han," he rubbed the back of his neck. He still wasn't quite used to the sensation of hair growing and tickling the back of his neck. "I've been meaning to talk to you," he said, waving his arm in an indication to come in.

Han eyed him suspiciously. "About what?" he asked carefully as he sat on the sofa.

"I've been a real sleemo and a koochoo, and I'm sorry. I don't want things to be bad between us, Han. You've been a very stand-up guy, and I think that you've been good for Leia. She needs someone like you in her life." Anakin felt the waves of shock rolling off his son-in-law. _Force, I must have been something awful, for him to be this shocked. _"I've had a chance to evaluate what is truly important in my life, and my relationship with Leia is one of those things."

Han managed to compose himself slightly. "For what it's worth, I think this at least made me a full believer in this whole will of the Force thing, at least."

Anakin laughed; it took a lot for someone who wasn't Force-sensitive to admit to a belief that there was a guiding force in their life outside themselves. "Have you had any trouble with the twins?" he asked, trying to figure out why Han had shown up on his door in the first place.

"No, they are fine. I was wanting your opinion on something."

"Well, I have a little time while Ash is in Galactic History."

"I have a friend, and I think he's in trouble. Leia said that I should ask your opinion."

Anakin was taken aback. "Leia said that?"

"Yeah. She's always trying to get me to try to get along better with you. She seems to be of the opinion that you weren't really as mad as you seemed to be about everything."

"I see," he said, really not having gotten anything out of Han's explanation. "So this friend. What makes you think that he's in trouble?"

"He sent me a letter."

"Does he not normally send you letters?"

"No, he forgets. But it's the content that's making me think he's got problems," Han said, handing the datapad to Anakin.

Anakin scanned it quickly, noting the name as one that he'd run across in the other reality. "Isn't the _Falcon_ your ship?"

"Yes, that's the first thing."

"What in the world are Nematodian Scarabs?"

"I don't know. I've never heard of them."

Anakin puzzled through the information, pacing as he let the Force inform him of what was important. "Immolious," he said in sudden realization.

"What?"

"He's talking about Immolious, not the ship. She's turned him into a prisoner on his own city. She's got a fair reputation for removing unnecessary parts from people who resist her 'preferred method' of ensuring compliance. Nematodian Scarabs are undoubtedly the droid soldiers that she left to ensure his cooperation."

"Preferred method?"

"Force-induced or enhanced seduction. We haven't really been able to figure out which."

"That doesn't sound good. Or really like Lando, even. He always thinks of himself as a real lady's man, unless he found out something that made him think she was as bad as she seems to be?"

"I don't know; I haven't dealt with her directly. Did you want to go save your friend?"

"He's being held captive by the biggest bitch in the galaxy?"

"I'm afraid so. I might be wrong. I've never been wrong before, though."

"If he needs saving, I want to go."

"Write him back. We will need more information. I'll present this to the Council, and see what we can do."

"What do I need to do in the meantime?"

"It will take a month or so to put together a proper task force, and you've got the twins to worry about. I doubt he's in immediate danger, with them either permitting or insisting that he send this letter," he put his hand on the younger man's shoulder. "Go worry about your family, I'll see what can be done about this."

* * *

Jasmine watched as Luke worked on his personal starfighter. Their father was working on his, too. Both she and Ash had been given little answer to queries as to why it was necessary to do this right then. She thought she understood it, maybe a little better than Ash did. He didn't know about the Massacre at the Senate, or the Rebellion. She thought the whole Rebellion was such a terribly romantic concept. Fighting for freedom against all odds, and Luke and Leia had done a bang up job of it. They were fighting against Daddy, but only because he'd forgotten who the good guys were. He remembered before it was too late; that was what was important. Ash had decided that even the most boring class in the Temple would be better than this and had left hours ago. She would have to start taking classes again soon, but she was enjoying the freedom that being a new Padawan was giving her. No one would disturb him about it until she'd been out of class for two months. It took a good deal of time to form the initial bond for everyone else, and lightsaber construction alone was supposed to take a month, not the three days it had taken her, although that was longer than any of her brothers and sisters. The hanger was otherwise deserted, so she decided it was time to see what was actually wrong with her Master. "What'cha doin', Master?"

"Adjusting the timing on this ion cannon. It's too slow."

"Why are you playing with your fighter?"

"Because, I want it in top shape. It's not right now."

"Oh. Is it fun to go and fight in a fighter?"

"I wouldn't call it fun, Little Bit, but it can be exciting. There are people shooting at you, so you've got to be on your toes. If you have to fight, though, you've already lost the most important battle."

"Oh. Can I learn to do it?"

"I don't see why you can't. You're a Skywalker, after all."

"Are you going to Field Practice?"

Luke thought about it for a minute. He thought so long that she realized he was trying to remember. "If this mission to Cloud City doesn't interfere, I will," he said as he returned to what he was doing.

"Can I go, too?"

He thought about that, too. "I don't see any reason that you can't. Jae and Jul are both going."

Satisfied, she went over to see what her father was doing. "Daddy?" she asked as she lay on the floor of the fighter bay, near his ship.

"Yes?" he answered, more distractedly than Luke had, from underneath the massive fighter.

"What'cha doin'?"

"Adjusting the repeater rate on this ion cannon. It's too slow."

"Luke said the same thing."

"I'm sure."

"Do you like your new fighter, Daddy?" she hadn't had a chance to ask him yet, and he'd gotten it nearly two months ago.

"I think it will do its job."

"I think it's prettier than your last fighter."

"Looks have nothing to do with how well it will keep you alive."

"I know, but it can look nice, too."

"So it can. Don't you have class?"

She shook her head. "Not for a month, at least. Unless Luke says that I need to go back earlier."

"You are taking advantage of your brother."

"We're working on our bond."

"You need to work on your bond like I need another child."

"Well, Daddy, you're getting two more, but I don't think you really need them. They are going to be fun, though."

"How do you know?"

She shrugged. "I just do."

"What about your niece and nephew?"

"They aren't going to be that interesting."

"Why not?"

"I don't know. They aren't Called by the Force."

"Your niece and nephew will be Jedi, Jaz, they've already tested as high as any of the family."

"It's not the same. Liz isn't Called, neither is Cecilia, Cedric is…but it's different, because he's conflicted. Jae and Jul are, I think, but they wouldn't be without me."

"Interesting, so who else is 'Called' as you put it?"

"You, Uncle Obi-Wan, Luke, Cedric, and Ardrya."

"Who's Ardrya?"

"My niece that isn't here yet."

"You know this even though she hasn't been born yet?" Luke asked.

"Doesn't matter."

"How do you know her name? We'd only talked about it last night."

"I heard; I had gotten up to get a drink."

"Ok. Is there anyone else on your list?" their father asked.

"I don't know. Maybe Mom."

"Why maybe?"

"It's harder to tell."

"Because she's not Force-sensitive?"

"Yeah."

"Why haven't you gone back to class?"

"The classes are getting boring. I think I've heard all of them."

"You start a whole new set of classes after you become a Padawan." Luke said.

"You do?"

"Advanced Force Applications, and group Lightsaber for starters. In fact, I've asked Master Windu to take you on in his advanced lightsaber class."

"Master Windu is interested in ME?" she squealed half in fright and half in disbelief.

"Yes, now that he knows just how good you really are. Hand me that hydrospanner, would you?"

"Yes, Master," she said, picking up the indicated tool. "Do you really think I'm good enough for Master Windu's class, so soon?"

"Easily, but be prepared, you won't be able to coast through his class like you have so far."

"My daughter coasted through lightsaber training?" Anakin sounded shocked.

"Leia did too, I think," Luke said absently, "But she made up for it while she was on Belsavis."

"I learned stuff," she said petulantly.

"A Jedi doesn't coast, Padawan," Luke said.

"Yes, Master," She sighed. "What else could I take?"

"Living Force, if you want to take Qui-Gon's class before breakfast."

"That could be interesting."

"Flight, with Julia, even though she's not a Padawan yet, and Jae's in that class, too."

She wrinkled her nose. "I'm not sure I want to be in class with them."

"You could go over to the NFS complex and take Political Strategy from Obi-Wan. Even Cedric signed up for that one, and Leia might when she gets back. I think it's right after breakfast, when Jae is in Flight," their father told her. All the children raised at the Temple were encouraged to take classes at the Non-Force Sensitive complex. Some classes, like Galactic History, were only taught there, although Jedi didn't usually teach any of the classes anymore. Classes there were by skill level, but age played a part in it as well. She'd have to talk Obi-Wan into it if she wanted to take that class.

"Obi-Wan teaches an NF class?"

"Yes, now that he's got a Padawan he's decided that he doesn't want to spend all of his time in the Temple. I seem to remember him doing much the same thing when I was a Padawan."

"Jae's too much for him?" she asked, grinning.

"I don't think it's that, but maybe interacting with someone else helps him keep his balance."

"I don't get it."

"Luke and I work on our fighters; Obi-Wan talks."

"OH!" she exclaimed in sudden understanding.

He grinned, "So why aren't you in class yet?"

"We're supposed to go to Bothawui next week," she reminded him.

"And as soon as you and Leia get back we're headed out to Bespin,"

"Then I'll start class. And I wouldn't have gotten anything out of whatever I was supposed to be learning today anyway."

"You are entirely too much like your mother sometimes."

"I can't help it."

"You are a Skywalker, at least when you aren't playing my little wall flower."

"What's wrong with being like Mom, anyway? Luke and Cedric are like Mom."

"And Jae is like me. I do see your point. Maybe a little tempering is good for the Skywalker genes. Jae certainly hasn't gotten enough of it."

* * *

Luke didn't know what to think about what his brother was trying to do. He decided to talk to someone who knew more than he did, even though he thought that Cedric would believe that he had betrayed the trust that Cedric had placed in him. "We need to talk, Dad."

"What about?"

"Stuff."

Anakin gave him an evaluating look. "Where did you want to have this talk?" Luke shrugged. "Let's go down to the Room of a Thousand Fountains, how will that be?"

"That will do."

"Good."

Once they arrived, and found a fountain that they both could enjoy, he said, "I think that there's something wrong with Cedric. Celia came to me about it this morning, too. Well, maybe not wrong, but something that isn't the way that it's supposed to be."

"The two of you have been having talks before dawn," his father acknowledged.

"I don't like the direction that he wants to go with what's happening."

"What's happening?"

"I think he's gotten entangled with Darth Immolious."

"Entangled?"

"I'm not sure exactly how to explain it."

"I see."

"He keeps asking more and more detailed questions about how to turn someone back to the light. I've exhausted my knowledge on the subject."

"So you want me to talk to him."

"I think he needs to know; he's obsessing over it."

"I have an idea; I think Master Yoda kept my armor…"

Luke grinned as he picked up details from his father's mind as to his exact plan.

* * *

Jasmine sighed. Luke had gotten tracked down by a rowdy group of his clan-mates, and they had dragged him off, Mara, too, for that matter, to some no-Padawans-allowed party for the Knighting of another of their members. Being that she was the only Padawan, she hadn't protested, but she knew Luke knew how hurt she was by it. Not ten seconds after, her father had rounded the corner. She suspected that he'd set the whole thing up. It wasn't beyond his devious mind to do so. "Ah, Jasmine. I wanted to take a closer look at your lightsaber, if you don't mind."

"I don't mind, Daddy. Some people just stole Luke for a Knighting party. You don't know anything about that, do you?"

He smiled, "No. But sometimes the Force works in ways we don't quite understand."

"I know, Daddy."

He picked her up easily, carrying her to a room set aside in the Temple for the repair and modification of Lightsabers.

He set the Lightsaber in a matrix tester, running a series of tests on it. "So how are Luke and Mara doing?" he asked casually.

"Fine. I think that they made up five times while we were on Ilum," he seemed slightly startled. "What do you mean by making up?"

Jaz blushed, and said, "I'm not sure what they are doing, but it's noisy and both Mara and Luke are really happy afterward."

"Oh, well, you don't need to know what they are doing just yet."

"That's what I thought, Daddy."

"Good, girl. Now how are you doing with all of these changes?"

"I'm fine, Daddy. We are all going to Bothawui, and after that Cloud City, and by that point Mara's going to be pregnant enough that they don't want her going anywhere, and Luke will be wanting to stay close to home anyway, with Ardrya nearly here, and the Council will want me to get on a regular school schedule, and we're fine."

"Good. How exactly does this matrix run through the crystal, anyway?"

"Just like it would run through air in a normal one, Daddy. The crystal isn't reactive unless you force it to be."

"And how do you do that?"

She hit the switch on the side.

"How did you convince the lightsaber to do that?" he asked, examining the new matrix. It was so different that the blade inverted, the core becoming violet and the edge taking on a bronze hue.

She shrugged. "Luke is getting better."

"What do you mean by that?"

"When he first came back from this last mission, he was all walls inside his head, even to me."

"I know. You know some of why, too, don't you?"

"Yes. My Luke was gone for a while, because of the Massacre in the Senate, and the Death Star."

"That's right."

"But he's getting close to the point where he is both equally, but he still puts up walls after they talk about the baby."

"He's not quite talked himself into being a father yet. I'll admit to being a little daunted by the eight of you, when I woke up that morning. Seeing Ardrya with his own eyes, I think, will do wonders for him, though, now back to my question. How did you make your lightsaber have two distinct matrixes?"

"I'm not sure exactly how to explain it. I don't know that I have all the words."

"I don't expect you to have the technical names for everything down, Jaz."

"The switch makes the part of the crystal that is where the matrix forms go the other way."

"It switches the polarity?"

"I don't think that's exactly it, but it's part of it."

"If your lightsaber was made in the traditional way, you wouldn't be able to do this, would you?"

She shook her head. "Not without a crystal to run it through."

"Would several crystals working together work?"

She considered his question. "I _think_ so, but I'm not sure. It's hard as anything to get right."

"I can imagine."

"I think it took me a whole day just to do that. The rest took twenty minutes."

"You think it took a whole day?"

"I don't know. It's hard to tell time when you're communing with the Force like that."

"Like what?"

"Did you want me to see if I can put together a lightsaber that will do what mine does so you can take it apart and figure it out?"

He smiled. "Yes. I suppose that I can watch you work while you are doing it."

"You are doing good, too, Daddy."

"I'm glad you think so. I think Leia's having a little more trouble."

"She is. Something will happen."

"Like what?"

"I don't know. She'll be fine after that though."

"Something good or something bad?"

"I don't know. It could go either way. It can't be very good, I don't think, but it could be incredibly awful."

"Do you see the future often?"

"I don't see it, not the way you do, Daddy. I've seen some of your visions when you haven't shielded them hard enough. The future isn't pretty, but I don't get pictures, just feelings, results of actions."

"Now, back to the question. Does it happen often?"

"Most of the time," she admitted. "I can sometimes brighten the future with a word; I've done it before."

He laughed. "The difference in one future and another hinging on a single word?"

"Sometimes."

"Are you planning to change this, anytime?" he asked, gesturing to her lightsaber.

"I doubt it, other than the grip, which will change as I grow, but I see no reason to try to change it. It does its job."

"Ok. Let me know if you change your mind."

"I will, Daddy. I think that Luke's coming to check on me," she said as he handed her lightsaber back to her.

He sighed, pulling down another one that he was needing to work on. He read the tag on it, and pulled it off. She picked it up, "What's it mean when it just says, 'Lock?'"

"It means that I need to add a locking mechanism to the components. A Knight with their first child, probably."

"Who's is it?"

"I don't know. It's been here for about a week, so I need to get it done before they get antsy for it," he replied as he opened the casing.

"Do you do that a lot?"

"I've worked on almost every lightsaber in the Temple, I think."

"Why?"

"Because I'm very good, and for a while, no one else could figure out how to put the locks in. I've taught so many classes on lightsaber modification that I could do them in my sleep now, but I still get asked to teach them. I imagine that everyone gets a bit tired of teaching people the same thing over and over again."

He made a few modifications to the blade's matrix, and inner workings before adding a small disk from a pile of them he had waiting on the bench. He attached leads up to the power source. She picked up another one, and found it was made of several complicated circles attached to one another. "What is it?"

"It's a lock. The disks can be spun with the Force, but only a particular combination will allow the lightsaber to ignite. I've yet to see a youngling under six who could break the coding to the lock. You already put one in yours though, so it won't be a big deal."

"I was wondering what that was. There were some in the box."

"Luke didn't help you?"

"No. He offered, but I didn't think he was supposed to help."

He snorted. "He's supposed to help you any way that you need it."

"How do you set one?"

"It's kind of like programming a computer. You have to set a particular matrix up as the right one. There are numbers on the sides of each dial, so you just pick a set of numbers, and press it in," he dialed the lock she was holding to a random combination, then pressed it into itself until the pieces were flush.

Tiny spines flicked off the lock as it set itself to the appointed combination. "Now the only way that the lightsaber that this would be attached to will work is if these circles are aligned in this order."

"How do I set mine?"

"Just use the Force to do the same thing," he told her as he put the lightsaber back together.

"Are these expensive?"

"No, and I can fix that one up in one of the community's sabers, so it's not a waste."

"There, better than new," he declared as he finished.

She giggled and handed the tag he'd reached for back to him. "You doing ok, Jasmine?" Luke asked, sticking his head in.

"I'm fine, Master. I'm learning about lightsaber repair."

"Is she bothering you, Dad? I can take her home."

"No, she's fine. Go have fun with your friends. It's not every day that someone gets Knighted, you know," he said, hanging the lightsaber on the wall behind him, in the area marked 'finished,' and picking up another one.

"Alright. I just wanted to check on you."

"I'm capable of taking care of myself."

"I'll remember that, next time you look crushed by the fact that I'm leaving."

"I don't see why I couldn't have come."

"No one else has a Padawan, they don't know what to do with you. I swear that a few of them don't know what to do with a lightsaber either, but I don't have any say over what is done about that."

* * *

Anakin was more tired than usual that night; he went to bed shortly after he saw Jae and Julia off to bed. They begged to stay up, as they did most every night, but he could remember how awful Jae would be to get up in the morning. Julia had his sleep habits; she could short herself for days before it would catch up with her, but Jae needed to be in bed on time, or Force only knew when she'd be able to get up.

He hadn't talked to Padmé since breakfast, but she would probably not be home until midnight or so, earlier than she usually was home, but still not early enough for his tastes. Somehow he doubted she would want to be home all the time, but that would be what he would want, for the children, so that they would have all the attention that they needed. Even Luke and Leia needed time with their mother.

He sighed as he pulled the covers back, lost in thought, missing his wife's presence. "Going to bed so soon?" he heard her voice from the door.

He looked up, grinning roguishly at her. "I was rather tired, but I think I feel better now," he said as she came over to him. His arms slipped around her waist, drawing her into his embrace for a long slow kiss.

"I thought that we needed to talk. It's been so long since we've just talked. I don't make enough time for you, and you haven't said anything about it."

"I still feel like I'm just so lucky that you even speak to me. Anything beyond that is a dream come true for me," he said, removing her cloak, hanging it in the closet for her.

"Anakin, I don't know how to deal with that," she said, sitting down on the bed. He knelt in front of her, removing her shoes for her, rubbing her feet, knowing that she must be tired from all the stress that the Senate placed upon her. "I love you, but you don't talk to me anymore."

"I'm sorry, my love. I don't mean to be so closed, but it's taking me time to become comfortable again. I don't think that you'd like some of my opinions anyway."

"I'd still like to hear them. The looks you give me tell me, but I'd like to hear you put them to words."

"I'd like you to stay home, after these two are born."

"Anakin, you know I can't do that."

"I know, but you've always put the Senate first; and your family second. I think that all the kids are suffering a little from a lack of their parents' attention."

"What do you mean?"

He sighed heavily. "Top down or bottom up?"

"Top down."

"Luke wants a closer relationship with you. He won't come out and say it, but I know he'd be over here quite a bit if you were available."

"I know he's been having some trouble reconnecting to Mara after the time thingy…"

"And you. He wants desperately to get to know you. I see it, even though he probably doesn't," he told her as he reached up under her skirt, pulling the stockings off her feet.

"What about Leia? You know, she came and kidnapped me for lunch a couple of days before the twins were born."

"I didn't know that, but she's having trouble adjusting. I think if she could connect with you, a neutral party, at least in her mind, she would have an easier time with her acceptance of me. That I think is the thing she's having the worst problem with."

"What do you mean?"

"She's caught somewhere between Daddy's Little Princess, and The Ice Princess of Alderaan, and I can't quite keep up with the pendulum swinging between the two," he ran his hands up her calves, working his way back down as he massaged the knots out of her muscles.

"She did ask a lot of questions about how we met, and how we kept it together all these years."

"She doesn't understand the depth of feeling that we have for each other, and she won't until she simply accepts what's going on, and she hasn't done that."

"I don't know what I can say to her to make her accept you."

"You don't have to say anything, just be there for her until she's ready to do it herself," he let his hands slide around to the outsides of her thighs, sliding up under her skirt as he closed the distance between the two of them for another impassioned kiss. He dropped her skirt back over her legs as she broke the kiss, taking up her right hand, working each finger joint, knowing that she would sometimes take her frustrations out on a stylus, not that it did any good. "Liz misses Leia. They were close, _before, _and Leia's barely said three words to her since."

"I can't do anything about that. That's between the two of them."

"I can't say much to Leia. She's so touchy. Suggesting that she's forgotten to take her sister out for their monthly dinner isn't something I think I could say. I'm really not sure what to say to her anymore," tears brimmed his eyes. He knew how much he loved each of his children, even if one of them was refusing to see it.

"Anything else about Liz? That was who we were talking about."

He sighed. "No. She's been taking care of things. I remember loving the crèche, up until I had my own younglings to take care of."

"She's got your heart, Ani."

"Yes. Fortunately, she escaped the curse of being 'interesting.'"

Padmé laughed, "Where did you get that one?"

"Jasmine," he informed her, and took her other hand, giving it the same treatment.

"And how exactly does my youngest define 'interesting'?"

"I'm not precisely sure. It started with a conversation about Leia's twins and who was 'Called by the Force' which I thought she meant Force sensitivity. I think it's more a level of how much poodoo that you have to wade through in your life."

"So who is on her list of interesting people?"

"You and me, Luke and Leia, Obi-Wan and Cedric." He didn't want to mention the fact that Ardrya was on the list. Not yet anyway. "Cedric has gotten himself into a terrible mess, and it's worrying Celia sick."

"Their twin bond hasn't been the same since Berma Pleaix, has it?"

"It hasn't, and he won't talk with anyone, and he's sitting there, letting the wound fester."

"I don't know what to do about him."

"I don't either, but something needs to be done," he said, not ready to talk about his plan to confront Cedric until he got approval from the Council, and maybe not even then. He was quiet while he finished massaging her hand, moving up her arm, then he told her, "I don't think Jaedrea is quite taking her life as seriously as I'd like."

"What do you mean?"

"A couple of things Obi-Wan's said to me. I don't think that it's sunk in to her how serious being a Jedi is."

"What could I do about that?"

"I really don't know. I'm not sure anything short of her getting seriously injured, or Obi-Wan, will bring it home to her."

"Why do you say that?"

"She's too much like me."

"I don't think me being around would really help that."

"I think you might be able to ground her more than I can."

"I don't know," she acknowledged as he helped her stand, finding the catch for her dress, and released her from it.

"Julia, I think, as long as she's got something with speed, will be happy enough," he got onto the bed, pulling her down with him, but facing away from him.

"And Jasmine?" she asked as he put his hands to work on the muscles of her back.

"She needs you, not that she'd ever say so. I think she's really excited by what Luke's doing for her."

"What's that?"

"He's talked Master Windu into evaluating her, to take her on in one of his classes."

"So soon? Even Cedric didn't get into advanced classes until he was eleven."

"She's ready. I think Luke's got her dead-on, as far as what she's capable of. He said she was coasting in her lightsaber classes."

"Was she?"

"I haven't watched her work with a lightsaber in a couple of months. Last I saw, she struggled, never making an attack. Maybe I'll go watch this little demonstration."

"That leaves you. What about you?"

"I need you, Padmé. Let Bail run the Senate. I have no doubt that you are doing good there, but I need you just as much as our babies do."

"I don't know what to say, Ani."

"I don't expect to get you to give up the Chancellorship. I know better. But we need you here at home, too."

"I've got so much to do…"

"Bail can do it, Chis can help. That is what you hired him for, isn't it?"

"Maybe…"

"He can come over after dinner and inform you of the goings on in the Senate, every day. Or do it after breakfast, and you can have time with the kids before they go to bed."

"And not even go into the office?"

"Medical leave. I'm sure the Healers would approve it."

"But there's the new staff to settle in…"

"Which Bail Organa can handle. He's not been in the Senate for thirty-two years and not picked up a thing or two."

"I'm only four months pregnant. I don't want to take another six month break from the Senate."

"I think that you're going to probably be off about that no matter what. If you take it easy, and not overwork yourself, maybe only going in one or two days a week, you should be able to go back in a reasonable amount of time after these two are born. If not, the Healers won't release you until you've fully recovered. We aren't young anymore, and this is going to take a lot out of you, Angel. Maybe more than you realize."

She considered his words as he worked the knots out of her back and moved on to massaging her arms. "I'll go talk to Master Allie tomorrow," she told him finally.

"Good. You will be honest that you are still working yourself to death, won't you?"

"If she asks. I live with her Padawan, I doubt that particular fact has escaped Celia's notice."

"True enough. She'll probably be there, so you won't escape what you've been doing to yourself," he told her, sinking down onto the bed, running his hands down her bare arms again, nibbling on her shoulder, working his way over to her neck.

"I don't think you're going to escape what you've been doing to me," she said as she turned to face him, drawing him into a kiss, which he returned with every bit of passion that he'd had for her over the twenty-six years they'd been married.

* * *

Anakin sat in his chair on the Council. It was about the most comfortable chair in the Temple, but it still made him feel funny to sit there. He would look at some of the Council members, and remember how he'd killed each of them. The feeling was fading, each time that he looked at the living person in front of him, but he had the feeling that he would always see death as he looked about the Temple. The Council discussed some minor business, but the main reason that they were meeting was at Anakin's request.

"Now, Anakin, you had something that you wanted to address the Council with."

Anakin sighed. "A couple of things, actually. My children have not been well behaved this past month."

A stifled laugh from across the room earned Obi-Wan a dirty look. "I'm sorry, Anakin, but they are your children."

"I know," he sighed, "You all know about what's been going on with the whole past and present thing. Leia is not doing well in adjusting, but she's still trying."

"Is her Master aware of the situation?" asked Kit Fisto.

"I don't doubt it; but she will need to be made aware of precisely what's been going on, but with Leia so busy already with the twins, she's not made her training a priority."

"Does this indicate a change in her willingness to become a Jedi?" Shaak Ti asked. She was one of those capable of understanding his plight with his children, having taken one of them on as her Padawan.

"I'm not sure. My relationship with her isn't what it was."

"We need to evaluate her situation when she is released for full duty again. We can see what her feelings are on the subject then," Mace said.

Anakin nodded. It was the best that he was going to get on that subject. "Shaak Ti, your Padawan is my next problem."

"Cedric? He's the last one of your children that I would have thought to be a problem."

"But he has been, for what, a year now?"

"The situation with Darth Immolious? I've worried about that, but he's refused to talk about it."

"He's not been sleeping well, I've woken a few mornings with my own troubles, and he was already up. I haven't said anything to him; Luke was with him on the balcony the first time I noticed it, and interacting with his brother seemed to calm him," he paused, but wasn't interrupted. "He seems to be convinced that he can save her; I have reason to believe that he's had contact with her in the last month. I don't know what to do with him. I'd like to encourage him to try, as convinced as he seems to be that she can be saved, but he's also thirteen, and therefore he's not in the best position to deal with this. I hope to dissuade him from this path for a few years, at least."

"I doubt you will be able to. You have a plan?" Shaak Ti asked him.

"Oh, yes, I have a plan," he said, and detailed what he'd come up with, while he'd been talking to Luke. His plan was met with shock, dismay and no small amount of outrage. Only the smooth talk of Obi-Wan Kenobi was able to bring the discussion to a resolution.

"Last thing, thankfully. Han brought to my attention a letter that he received from a friend of his, who runs a place called Cloud City; a cry for help, was what it obviously was. I believe that this is where our favorite Lady of the Sith has been."

"What makes you say that?" Obi-Wan asked.

"I don't know. It's simply what feels right."

"I hate it when you say that," Obi-Wan said. Anakin shrugged.

"He mentions that he nearly lost something important to his ship, which he no longer owns. It is fairly well known, at least in this room, that she likes to remove things from recalcitrant people, those that she has further use for, at least," he said, as additional support to his claim.

"I don't like this."

"Neither do I," he said to his Master, "I'm hoping that we can get a task force together, and go see if this is what we think it is."

"Does Han want to come?" Obi-Wan asked him.

"Yes, and I see no harm in delaying until he can."

"Anakin, we will debate this, but we will need some evidence stronger than your hunches," Mace told him.

"I understand, perhaps another coded letter?"

"I think that might work. Especially if we could obtain more information, troop deployment, that sort of thing," Mace conceded.

"I will see what we can draft, and we will get it sent off."

"Anyone have any other business for the Council?"

The murmuring in the room was negative. After the Skywalker clan's troubles were revealed, no one had much to add to the discussion.

* * *

Han got the _Falcon_ ready; ever since they'd been stuck on Belsavis, either he or Anakin did everything for the ship; Luke would come out to help, but only if one of the two of them were there. It was an odd way to connect to his father-in-law, but Anakin was not an ordinary person. They'd never had an argument while talking about the ship, its modifications, or it's repair status. Only when they strayed off those subjects did they start to fight.

"Everything is ready," he called as he heard someone coming up the ramp. He assumed it was either Leia or Chewie.

"Going somewhere?" Anakin asked.

"Yeah, Chewie wanted to go to Kashyyyk. His sister's with cub."

"Show and tell?"

"Something like that. I have family on Kashyyyk, and Leia was wanting to meet them."

That astonished Anakin somewhat. "I see. Why haven't you taken Leia to see them before now?"

Han was really puzzled by that. "Leia gets really space-sick when she's pregnant; you know that."

"Sorry, not thinking. Will the twins be ok?"

"The Healers said that they shouldn't have a problem, but to watch them carefully. I've started that letter, did you want to take a look at it?"

Anakin nodded. "The Council wants more information from your friend."

Han handed him a datapad, with the old letter on it, and the new letter below it.

'Hey you old taxi driver,

I wanted to congratulate you on your marriage and the twins. It seems like only yesterday that you were a confirmed bachelor with every girl on Cloud City chasing you. I'm taking good care of your old ship, the _Falcon._ She's been a real bitch lately though. She nearly took off something important to me when I tried to shut the hatch the other day. I think she's jealous. She's also got an infestation of Nematodian Scarabs that I picked up in the last trip out with her. Her hyperdrive is shot, those Scarabs got into the power cables. Sorry that I won't be able to visit anytime soon, but until things cool off out here and I can get the Scarabs out of the _Falcon_, I'm way too busy to make a trip to the Core. Hope you can visit soon, bring friends, and it'll be just like old times, like before you became all respectable.

Lando'

'Lando,

Sorry to hear that the ship picked up those Nematodian Scarabs. You don't have more than one colony, do you? If so, it might be better just to scrap that old bird, and start fresh. Glad that the _Falcon_ is in good repair, aside from the hyperdrive, of course. My father-in-law thought that a vacation in the City in the Clouds might be fun; he wants to bring a few other people, but it will take a few weeks to get everyone ready to go.

Too bad that you can't come see the twins; they are here now. A boy and a girl, and quite beautiful, too, if I do say so myself. I'm not sure that I can bring them all the way to Cloud City, but I'll be by when Dad and company come. Hyperspace isn't so good for young children, you know, or I would bring them to see their 'Uncle' Lando. I'm sure that you don't really want to hear about them, but I've included a couple of holos—Kitster doesn't have near as much hair as Sabé does, that's about the only way to tell them apart at this stage.

Han'

"Does he know that you married a Jedi?" he asked, looking up from his reading.

"He met Leia once, about five years ago. He tried to charm her, but she nearly put her lightsaber to his throat."

Anakin laughed, trying to imagine what Leia would have done had she been trained in lightsaber combat as Senator of Alderaan. "I believe that she would."

"Did you need any help?"

"Nah, everything's done, I was just doing a final check before we leave tomorrow."

Anakin nodded absently, adding to the letter as he immersed himself in memories of the Clone Wars, thinking about the droids that he fought then, Cloud City and its administrator, things that seemed to be a lifetime ago.

'Lando,

Sorry to hear that the ship picked up those Nematodian Scarabs. The high-pitched whining that they make can drive you absolutely insane. You don't have more than one colony, do you? If so, it might be better just to scrap that old bird, and start fresh. I had to special order the decontaminant last time I ran across them. You'd be amazed at the effectiveness that blue glo-stix have on the little buggers. If you're still having problems I think I've still got a couple you can have when we get there.

Glad that the _Falcon_ is in good repair, aside from the hyperdrive, of course. My father-in-law thought that a vacation in the City in the Clouds might be fun; he wants to bring a couple of his friends, but it will take a few weeks to get everyone ready to go. Everybody wants to come on vacation, but I know how limited you are on space there so only about half a dozen people are going to be coming.

Too bad that you can't come see the twins; they are here now. A boy and a girl, and quite beautiful, too, if I do say so myself. I'm not sure that I can bring them all the way to Cloud City, but I'll be by when Dad and company come. Hyperspace isn't so good for young children, you know, or I would bring them to see their 'Uncle' Lando. I'm sure that you don't really want to hear about them, but I've included a couple of holos—Kitster doesn't have near as much hair as Sabé does, that's about the only way to tell them apart at this stage.

Han'

He returned the datapad to Han with the modifications, and Han looked them over. "High-pitched whine?"

"Trust me."

"Ok. Blue glo-stix?" Anakin held his lightsaber up.

"You sure you don't want to take more Jedi?"

"Not if it's just droids. This letter should confirm most of my suspicions about what's going on," he said, and then he started grinning. "I don't want to let anyone else have the fun of chopping up all the droids before I can get to them. I'm getting kind of old, you know."

* * *

Lando noticed that he'd received a letter back from Han. The file was on the larger size. Astronomical considering who'd sent it. He didn't know what information it might contain, but he wanted to wait until the end of his workday to take a look at it. Doing otherwise might look suspicious. It seemed that the day dragged on longer than normal, but he got through it, eventually.

He skimmed over the first two paragraphs; they were the information he would take a closer look at later, he was actually needing good news right then, and the half-a-dozen holos that Han had included of himself and the twins, and the paragraph of obvious paternal pride was a soothing balm to the nattering of the droids around him constantly. He spent a little while looking at the pictures, letting out the tension that he'd gotten himself wound up with during the day. At least the droids didn't insist that they stay in his quarters with him.

He went back to the beginning of the letter, and started to read it in earnest, planning out what he would write back.

* * *

Celia was on duty overnight when the most revered Master in the whole Temple came in. "Are you alright, Master Yoda?"

"Yes, pass into the Force I will soon. A long rest have I earned," he said as she led him into a private room.

Shock registered quickly with her, "Master, don't talk like that. Let me get Master Allie."

"No, child. Her rest, your Master needs. Nothing there is that she can do for me. Agree with me she would. And agree with me you will, young Skywalker, or else beat you with my gimer stick I will." He chortled, ending in a cough.

Celia hesitated, but finally said, "Yes, Master. Is there anyone that you want here?"

He considered this question as she helped him onto the bed. "Long have I considered this question, never a satisfactory answer did I find. Now forced I am to make a decision. Summon your brother and sister, as well as your father and his master."

She almost asked which brother and sister, but remembered that Leia especially had been a favorite of Master Yoda's, and he hadn't trained Cedric at all. "Yes, Master."

* * *

Leia woke with a start to her comlink beeping. She flipped it on without considering who it might be, and was really not awake enough to identify the voice on the other end. "What?" she said sleepily. She'd only just gotten back to sleep from feeding the twins.

"I'm sorry to wake you. Please come down to the Healer's. Master Yoda is asking for you."

"Master Yoda? Why is he asking for me?" she asked, hoping that whatever it was could be put off until the morning.

"He's dying, Leia," the three words brought her instantly awake, and tears sprang into her eyes.

"I'll be there in a couple of minutes," she said, and closed the comlink before she started to sob uncontrollably, waking Han.

"What's wrong, Leia?"

"Master Yoda's dying," she said into his shoulder as he wrapped his arms around her.

"Do you want me to come with you?"

"Please?"

* * *

Luke woke to his comlink, which he'd deposited across the room, requiring that he get out of bed to retrieve it. He felt that it was something of the utmost importance. He got out of bed so fast that it woke Mara up. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know yet," he answered as he picked the comlink up and answered it. "Yes?"

"Luke, it's Celia. Can you come to the Healers? Master Yoda is asking for you."

Luke closed his eyes, and then said into his comlink, "He's dying, isn't he?"

"Yes."

"I'll be right there," he said, shutting the comlink off.

"Do you want me to come with you?" Mara asked, but she was already up and getting dressed, knowing his answer.

He looked gratefully at her, since this time he wouldn't have to face it alone. "Yes."

Jasmine walked into the room without knocking. "What's going on?"

"Master Yoda's dying."

"Oh. I'm sorry Luke. I know he was important to you in both of your lives," she said as she climbed onto the foot of the bed.

"Are you sure you're nine?"

"You've been expecting this, haven't you?"

"Ever since I got here, Little Bit," he put his hand on her shoulder, knowing she felt badly for him, but not knowing how to reassure her.

Mara had a thought as the conversation lulled for a moment. "Do you think you could go over to Leia's and watch the twins? She is probably going down there, too, and she'll want Han with her."

Jaz nodded, and left without another word.

"Let's go," he said.

* * *

Anakin had been up for about five minutes when his comlink went off. He flipped it on, noting that it was from the Healer's, "I'll be down in five minutes," he said to whoever was on the other end. He went over to kiss Padmé good-bye, as he had so often when he'd had to leave during the Clone Wars, but unlike all those times, she woke up.

"What's wrong, Ani?"

"Master Yoda's dying."

"I'm coming with you."

He smiled, and said, "As you wish, Madame Chancellor."

* * *

Celia looked at the comlink with bemusement. Her father had always been perceptive. She reached to start contact with Obi-Wan when the door whooshed open, and she turned to see who it was.

"Uncle Obi-Wan, Aunt Siri, I was just about to call you," she said, giving him a hug, then giving Siri one, too.

"I know, child. Where is he?"

She pointed to the door Master Yoda was now behind. "In that room."

"We will wait for the others," he said, but he didn't have to wait long. Her Mom and Dad were there shortly after. Luke and Mara followed, minus her sister, who was usually ever-present since becoming his Padawan. Leia and Han soon entered.

Han went up to Luke, and said, "Thanks for sending the squirt, kid."

"She's happy to do it, Han. Besides, it was Mara's idea."

"Of course. Women are always better at that sort of thing."

"Can we go see him now?" Leia asked, still in tears.

Celia said, "This way," she led them to the room. She made sure that Master Yoda's monitors were all functional, and left, saying, "I'll be back in a few minutes."

* * *

Luke heard the swoosh of the door before Yoda began talking. "Shed not tears for me, young Leia. Joining the Force I am. A time for rejoicing this is."

"I'm going to miss you, Master."

"Watch over you, I will."

"Yes, Master."

The aged Master shifted slightly, so that he could look at Luke, "Luke, pleased I am that you have the strength to go through this one more time."

"Yes, Master. I could not _not_ be here for you."

"Less desperate you are this time."

Luke smiled sadly, "You are right, Master, though I still do not feel as though my training is complete."

"Never it is. Always you will feel this way, or lost you will have become."

"Yes, Master."

"Known you for thirty-six years, I have. My favorite student you are, you and Leia."

"Yes, Master. You like me better than Mace?" Luke asked, a little shocked that Yoda would put him above the Grand Master.

"Grumpy he is in the morning."

"Are you sure it's not all day?"

"An act it is. Hides the fact that guilty he is of many practical jokes. My Padawan was he. Know all his secrets I do."

"You know everyone's secrets, Master." Anakin said.

"True this is. How else is the Grand Master to effectively run the Temple?"

"I don't know, Master. It's a job I've never wanted."

"True enough. One last lesson have I for the Chosen One."

"What's that?"

"Let go of the guilt of Vader's deeds. Purged him you did on the Death Star."

"Yes, Master," Anakin answered, his head bowed.

"Undone were they thirty-six years ago."

"Yes, Master."

"You will be sorely missed, old friend," Obi-Wan said, going over to his bedside.

"My eulogy, you will give, Obi-Wan. If it must be done, done it will be by you."

"I'm honored, Master."

"Bah. Never have I understood the need to formalize one's memories of a loved one. Awkward such speeches always are, but insisted upon it will be. Complete instructions I have in my quarters."

"Yes, Master."

"You have all made me proud. Proud of all of my Jedi, I am, but you four most of all. Overcame great obstacles you have. Destroyed Sidious you did, and saved the Order. I go to my eternal rest now, assured that my Jedi are in very capable hands." Yoda let out a gasp, closed his eyes, and went limp.


	12. Time Home

**AN:Well, I've kind of gotten bogged down with the whole middle-of-trilogy-boring junk...I'm sorry.** **Some stuff's got to happen in this to set up a really cool third book type, so this is going to be lots more angsty instead of lots of action, like Yoda's Shadow. (Double checks for the lynch mob) I'm glad you guys are ok with Yoda dying, and now Luke and Leia are going off planet, so we'll get into some interesting bits of action there, especially for Luke and Jaz. **

Teresa:**No, Han isn't going to get put in carbonite.  
**

TriGemini:**No, nothing's ever easy for the Skywalkers, but Leia and Cedric have lots of people who will help them out.  
**

Charlie Hayden:**Next chapter, I promise. It's already written, even.  
**

SidiousSith:**Glad you like Jaz. I work hard to try to keep her from being too overboard. As he has been for this whole book, Mace is the Grand Master. Yoda retired about six months before the beginning of the story.  
**

DrewDude1023:**Welcome!**

Mr Powell:**Oh, yes, many questions. Read on.**

* * *

Chapter 11

Leia was not ready to leave. She'd broken down into tears three times since she'd woken up, and it wasn't helping that Han wanted to talk about what Master Yoda had been saying. "I don't understand," he said, and not for the first time.

"I barely understand it myself," she said, making the decision that she was finally ready to go, "Let's get out of here. We can talk on the way to Kashyyyk."

He let it drop, and opened the door, finding Aayla there. "Coming with?" he asked her.

"I have nothing better to do than to reconnect with my Padawan. There is much that we have to discuss. I had a nice long talk with your father."

Leia winced at her tone. It was the one that said she wouldn't get away without telling her every excruciating detail. She picked up Sabé, and headed for the ship.

"On the way there, we will talk." Aayla said.

"Yes, Master," she said, resigned to the fact that she was going to have to tell both of them everything. She'd been hoping to avoid this particular conversation with Han, at least.

Aayla picked up Kitster, and they headed for the ship together. Once the babies were settled in special netting installed for the trip, and Han had put the _Falcon_ in the air, she was ready to talk.

"Ok, we are safely in hyperspace. Now spill," Han said as he arrived in the ship's common area.

"Well, I'm not sure where to start."

"The beginning usually works."

"I don't know where the beginning is, that's part of the problem."

"Maybe you should start with what happened a month ago and work backward," Aayla suggested.

"Alright," Leia agreed, but wasn't quite sure.

"Wait—she knows about this and I don't?"

"Daddy told her. I haven't had time to breathe, much less talk about this. Do you remember me waking up with a nightmare the day before you left for wherever you went?"

"Eriadu, Leia."

"That's it."

"Yes, I remember," he sighed. Skywalker nightmares were legend around the Temple.

"It wasn't precisely a nightmare."

"Since we are talking about it, I had gathered that."

"I don't really have a word for what happened. I became a different person than you have known. I have different experiences than the person that you married, Han. I'm different, but at the same time I'm not."

"So does that mean that you are not Leia Skywalker Solo anymore?"

"Sort of. I'm regaining all the memories of my life here with you."

"And your father? How does he know about this?"

"It happened to him, too, and Luke."

"So you and Luke and your dad, all became different people, the day before I left for Eriadu." He turned to Aayla. "Has she completely flipped her lid?"

"No, Anakin told me much the same thing, using more _colorful_ terms, but much the same."

Han snorted, understanding that when Anakin got colorful, it usually included dropping into Huttese for the _proper_ names for things. "So Yoda said that he had known you for thirty-six years. I remember you being twelve, when I was twenty-two. I am not thirty-six yet, so I can't figure how he's known you for over thirteen years longer than you've been alive."

"I figured you'd want to know about that. I pulled the records of the Massacre at the Senate, that should explain a bit of that."

She pulled out a holopad, and started to play the fateful day at the senate. It closed in on the Naboo's repulsorpod. She paused it. "Ok, let me identify everyone for you. The girl dressed as the Queen of Naboo, is actually a decoy, Sabé,"

"Is that why you named our daughter Sabé?"

She nodded, and continued. "The two handmaidens are Mom and I. This is Sidious, as I'm sure you heard Master Yoda mention."

"I've seen pictures of him, but not with that name."

"It's his Sith name. Darth Sidious, Darth Vader, Darth Maul, Darth Tyranus, Darth Immolious."

"I've never heard of Darth Tyranus or Darth Vader."

"You wouldn't have. I'll get to that later," she said, "The four Jedi, are Obi-Wan, Garen Muln, Dad, and Luke."

"Are you sure that you're not loosing it?"

She shook her head. "Watch. This is the first time that I've seen a holo of this, so I don't know how good it is. I know it has sound, which is the important thing." She let it play, her eyes flicking back and forth between the image and Han's face. She listened as the flowery speech Palpatine had given flowed forth, interrupted by the Trade Federation, then the girl that she'd identified to Han as Sabé spoke, only to be interrupted again. The interruption played right into her hands, though. She identified two of the Jedi, who were to present evidence: Obi-Wan and Luke.

Obi-Wan, a much younger Obi-Wan, he even still had his Padawan braid right then, and no beard, got up, and said his piece, although he was interrupted several times by the Neimoidians. Then Luke got up, but it wasn't the Luke that Han and Aayla thought that they knew. This was _her_ Luke, hardened by battles against Darth Vader and the Empire, destroyer of the first Death Star, her best friend. This was the Luke who'd never gotten that scar on his jaw from playing with Anakin's lightsaber; the one that almost ruined his drop dead gorgeous looks. He spoke to the Senate, reiterating Obi-Wan's position, his voice clear enough to be heard through the whole of the Senate that day, and now to be clearly identified.

Mace Windu stepped into the arena, and the angle of the holo switched to show that. He asked to speak, presenting evidence against Palpatine, after the removal of the very badly behaved Trade Federation Delegation. He didn't get very far into it before commotion from the Naboo's repulsorpod drew the camera's attention again, and the Queen of Naboo had a nasty lightsaber wound, a killing blow, and by the time that the holo steadied, there were only four people in the repulsorpod. After that, the holo pulled out to show the whole Senate, and it was really the only way to get a scope of the full battle. The occasional shouts in the midst of the battle were sometimes audible, sometimes not. Then, the battle suddenly came to an end as Palpatine and Anakin shoved their lightsabers into each other.

The scream of anguish Luke let out was clear, and she heard her own voice joining in, then his body, hers and Anakin's all disappeared. "I didn't know that happened."

"What, dear?" Aayla asked.

"That our bodies disappeared."

"You do pick up on the strangest things, Leia'wa."

"I knew about everything else. What happened afterward is new to me," she said, now avidly watching the holo, showing the aftermath of the battle for a few minutes before dissolving into nothingness.

She put the holopad away. "So when I woke up, that was what had just happened to me."

"And before that?" Han asked.

"I'd been in the past for a few weeks. We arrived there after the Battle of Endor."

"Endor?"

"There's a little moon there, with Ewoks. Cute little things, kind of like half-sized Wookiees."

He shook his head. "Half-sized Wookiees?"

"Yeah, anyway, the Battle of Endor went well enough. Luke did what he was supposed to do, and we were on the surface, disabling the shield generator, and…"

"We, you and me, we?"

"Yes, Han, you and me. As a matter of fact, just you and me, R2, C-3P0, and Chewie."

"I take it this was a very different kind of place."

"It was. Everything was different. We belonged to the Rebel Alliance. There weren't any Jedi, except for Luke. Even my name was different."

"What was your name?" Han asked, with a mix of curiosity and apprehension.

"My full title was Her Royal Highness, Princess Leia Organa, Senator of Alderaan, but my name has always been Leia. I was raised as the daughter of Bail Organa's. He's a good friend of Mom's and has been for years, but up to the point at which I came to the past I only had the vaguest memories of her, because she died the day that we were born. That is how I know that you can have memories from when you are just a tiny baby."

Han sat back; starting to take in the information she was giving him. "But you said that we were on a mission together."

"Yes. We went on many missions together in the four years from the destruction of the first Death Star to the destruction of the second."

"What's a Death Star?"

"Oh, it's a super big space station. If you really want to know more than that, you'll have to ask Luke. If you're feeling brave, and want to know more, ask Dad."

"How big are we talking?"

"A small moon. The things were equipped with a super laser capable of destroying a planet."

"You aren't serious."

"I am. I watched from the observation deck of the first one as Grand Moff Tarkin ordered the destruction of Alderaan," she was prepared to answer questions about the destruction of Alderaan, but he didn't seem to have any. "So, he didn't really like me very much, because at the same meeting, he told me that he'd signed my execution order."

"I'd say he didn't like you. What did you do to him?"

"I was a Rebel, and I was in the leadership. I threatened the Empire, therefore I needed to be eliminated."

"How old were you?"

"Oh, about two months past my nineteenth birthday," she said to his horror. "Then the strangest thing in my life happened. A very short Stormtrooper came into my cell, with a wild tale about how he was there to rescue me, and he'd brought Obi-Wan with him. That was my introduction to Luke Skywalker."

"You didn't know him?"

"We were separated to protect us from the Empire. I don't even want to think what Sidious would have done if he'd been able to get his hands on one of us, let alone both. So I met my brother, although I didn't know he was my brother at the time, and then I met the person who Obi-Wan had contracted to get the two of them to Alderaan."

"And who might that have been?" he asked, smiling, because he thought that he knew the answer to the question.

"A very annoying, stuck up, scruffy-looking Corellian smuggler, and it took all of thirty seconds for him to pick a fight with me."

"Smuggler?"

"Working for Jabba the Hutt," she added as she laughed. _Her_ Han would have taken offense to the fact that she was calling him scruffy-looking.

"Considering the number of times I've heard your Dad curse that name, I take it he's not the nicest guy?"

She considered for a while her answer. "He had you prisoner for a time, and I went to rescue you, but I got a little sloppy. Good thing Luke was in a position to rescue us, because Jabba captured me, put me in a slave-girl costume, and chained me to his side."

"He's dead, I don't care if he didn't do it in this reality, he's dead."

"Oh, Han, don't be such a chauvinist. At an appropriate moment, I drug the chain around his neck and choked him with it. I am even more capable of taking care of myself now, so I don't think he will be a problem."

Han sat back down, knowing that she was right. "Alright. But I want to see this costume of yours."

"You never saw it originally, so why should I find something similar to show you now?"

"Why didn't I see it?"

"You'd been encased in carbonite for about six months; you were recovering from the hibernation sickness."

"How'd I get put into carbonite?"

"Darth Vader put you there to test it to see if you would survive."

"I was a test subject? What was he testing it for?"

"He wanted to do it to Luke and wanted to be sure Luke wouldn't be harmed by the process."

"Ok, but I still want to see what I'm not killing Jabba for."

"I might see what I can do. Back to the Death Star, though, Obi-Wan fought Darth Vader, which allowed us to escape the Death Star, and we got back to the Rebel Base on Yavin IV, but the Imperials had put a tracking device on the _Millennium Falcon_, and traced us there. The Death Star's plans were analyzed by the top minds of the Rebellion, and a weakness was found; a two-meter wide vent port, which was not heavily protected. One man fighters were not considered to be a threat by the Empire, so one could get close enough to fire off a shot that would go straight to the reactor core, and blow the thing."

"Who fired the shot that did it?"

"Luke. But you helped. You shot Darth Vader's personal fighter down so that he wouldn't shoot at Luke while he was trying to make the shot."

"That's the second time you've mentioned Darth Vader, Yoda mentioned him too. Who was he?"

"At that time, no one knew. He simply appeared, as though out of nowhere at the end of the Jedi Purges. He wore armor that encased his whole body, no one ever saw his face."

"You are avoiding the question, Leia'wa. I know you don't like the answer, but he should know."

"Yes, Master. Darth Vader was my father."

* * *

"Frightening isn't it?" Anakin asked Luke as they started to work on his 'project'. 

"Creepy, more like it," Luke said, shuttering as he listened to the sound it was making.

"Let me see what else I can do with this," he said, and backed off a little bit, concentrating through the Force, using it to make adjustments to the mechanics.

It wasn't working quite the way that Anakin was expecting, and when Luke tried to help, it only made things worse. "I think there's something I'm forgetting...ah, yes."

This time everything worked as Anakin thought that it should. "Now for the hard part."

He moved off a little bit more, into the shadows. "Luke," he said, projecting his voice through the Force, making Luke jump.

"Couldn't you have warned me that you were going to do that?"

"No, I am your Father," he said, making adjustments to the vocal projection.

"That's just creepy, Dad."

"Do I sound right?" he asked.

"Yeah. It sounds right," Luke agreed, as Anakin came back to the front of the room. "I'm not sure that I can do this to him."

"I'm not sure that a thirteen year old needs to be asking about how to turn someone from the Dark Side."

"Are you going to tell him the truth eventually?"

"Let's see how this little demonstration goes."

* * *

Elizabeth was helping to get a family settled in. Neither parent was Force-Sensitive, but their son was. They'd gotten in the night before, late, so there hadn't been a Jedi to meet them. There were temporary quarters that the night shift could put whoever came in at whatever hour, and they'd been lodged there. She entered the temporary quarters, which looked more like a barracks than a home, and tried her hand at the family name, as the first names looked a little complicated. "Stryder?" 

A man not too much older than Luke came up to her. "Please, call me Selek," she shook his offered hand, not something that she would ordinarily do, but when meeting people unfamiliar with Jedi, it usually helped smooth things over.

"Thank you, Selek, my name is Elisabeth Skywalker," she said as she disengaged from his grasp, flipping through the file she'd brought with her. "Let's get you to your room. I'm sorry there wasn't anyone here to meet you last night," she said. They'd brought about ten large cases with them, which was about average, so she brought a gravsled out of the closet that they got stored in.

"Oh, this is such a nice place, don't you think, Selek?"

"Yes, Myrrissa, it's lovely," he responded to his wife as he piled the cases onto the gravsled.

Liz helped get their possessions wrangled into place, then consulted the file again, checking for the room they'd been assigned. "This way," she said cheerily.

They followed to the service turbolift, which easily would have accommodated three times the people and supplies that they were currently carrying. "So, we asked that nice man we spoke with about employment, his name was Skywalker, too, I believe, and he said it was up to us?"

She flipped to the page that said who'd met with them before, "That was my father. You will be able to help care for this complex if you would like. About a quarter of the residents do that. If either of you would like, you can take training to become a teacher. All the teachers here now, finally, are part of the complex. We did have a few problems with teachers who weren't a part of the greater Jedi community being especially hard on some of the Initiates. If you would like employment outside the Jedi community, you can do that as well."

"What about you, dear?" Myrrissa asked her.

"I'm still a Padawan, but I spend most of my time in the crèche. My Master is part of the team that runs the crèche, and I've had that bent since I was a very young child."

"And your parents, what do they do?"

"My mother is the Supreme Chancellor, and Father is on the Jedi Council."

"Your mother is Chancellor Amidala?" Selek asked.

"Yes, she still goes by that name publicly."

"Selek, don't be so star struck. Your Father is a rather nice man. We went and watched one of your sisters in Lightsaber class. She seemed to be on the receiving end of some good news that day, from your oldest brother, I believe. "

Elizabeth thought about that for a moment, looking at the date. "I think that was the day he asked the Council if he could take Jasmine as his Padawan," she smiled, "That's always very good news. If you need anything, the comm station is programmed for the numbers for the front desk and the crèche, and emergency numbers as well. If something is wrong with Jydan, try calling the crèche first, there's almost always someone there, as we still have parents who don't want to uproot themselves, but still want to see their children to become Jedi. We also occasionally have some kids who have both parents out at the same time, for reasons beyond their control."

"There is a care center here in the building, but it is for the non Force-sensitive children. If both of you decide to work, Jydan will need to come to the Temple. I realize it can be inconvenient, but we've discovered that even if we have Jedi over here, it's still less trouble in the long run to separate the crèchlings by Force-sensitivity. Do you have any questions for me?"

"I really wanted to be a teacher when I was your age, dear. I think I still want to do that. What subjects can I teach?"

"All the children here are given all the basic subjects, it doesn't matter what your midi-chlorian level is, and we need more teachers. Jedi will occasionally take on a class, but it's becoming less necessary, thankfully."

"Jedi don't want to teach?"

"It's not exactly in the job description to teach math to five-year-olds, but it must be done. Jedi teach more advanced classes now, for the most part. Master Obi-Wan is teaching Political Strategy, and Master Windu teaches several Advanced Lightsaber classes. Dad teaches Lightsaber Techniques and Lightsaber Modification."

"So these are classes geared toward Jedi?"

"Master Obi-Wan's isn't, but for the most part, yes. Several different Jedi take on classes of various mixes for Flight lessons, and a few Jedi enjoy teaching Galactic History, which is a mixed class."

"So most of the teachers that you need are for more basic education?"

"We need teachers at all levels, but yes, the four to nine-year-olds is where we need teachers most. I can make sure that you get the information sent to your comm station, and you can pursue it at your leisure."

"That would be nice. Jydan isn't like my sister's children. He's so inquisitive, so early. It seems like he almost doesn't sleep."

"Every child has their own sleep patterns, and Force-sensitive children tend to demand more information earlier. If I could hold him, I can check him to make sure that he's on track."

"That would ease my mind. What kind of test do you want to do?"

"I can test him through the Force. It won't hurt, and probably won't even wake him up. How old is he now?"

"Oh, he's just now six months."

"Good," she said, as Myrrissa handed Jydan to her. She gave him a quick physical scan, and he seemed fine, content. She checked more carefully the neural connections that he was making, which seemed in good order for a child of his age. "He seems fine. Master Sha will want to take a look at him in the next couple of days, as will Master Allie in the Healer's Ward, while he's awake, but otherwise, we will let you get settled in. There are some classes that you can take, if you'd like, to learn more about child development. A schedule gets posted weekly as to topics and stuff. I teach those sometimes."

"Do we have to take those classes?" Selek asked.

"No, but they can be helpful. We talk about milestones and expectations for each stage of growth. Usually we only see the primary caretaker in the classes. It can be a challenge to try to get both parents into classes like that, but it is encouraged."

Selek nodded. "I've never really done well with classrooms."

"I'm sorry to hear that, however, it's not like a school with tests or homework. If you'd like, someone can work with you one-on-one, so that you understand what to expect with your son," she told him as she handed the boy back to his mother.

"I might do that. Do you have gardens around here?"

"I'm not sure that we do, not the way you mean, but I believe that we do need another caretaker for the Room of a Thousand Fountains."

"That room at the bottom of the Temple?"

"Yes. I think it will need extra care now."

"Why's that?"

"I think it's going to get a lot more use in the coming year. Master Yoda died, and that's why the Temple is draped in black. There will be a lot of Jedi who mourn his passing. One of the best places for a Jedi to do that is the Room of a Thousand Fountains."

"I can understand that. I've never heard of a more loved Grand Master than he." Selek said. "I saw, when I was a young boy, a ceremony, of which he was the subject. Even through the HoloNet, I could _feel_ the love that everyone there had for him."

"That was probably his retirement ceremony. After Leia finally took a Master, he retired, at least from teaching. He finally stepped down from the Council not too long ago."

"Leia?"

"My older sister. I'm the third of what's going to be ten here shortly. Master Yoda was quite fond of the oldest twins."

"Oh, my, dear. Are large families encouraged for Jedi?"

"To an extent. I think Mom would have been happy with six, or less, even. She wasn't really expecting to be pregnant this time. This last pair is a surprise."

"Do you have a twin?"

"Oh, no. I'm all by myself, and I'm happy that way. When I was almost ten, Mom had triplets; she said she was through after that."

"So is she unhappy?"

"No, she grumbles like she is, but I think she's happy enough. Dad's ecstatic. I think they will be a happy pair of children. They'll at least have family in their Clan. Sabé and Kitster, Leia's twins, and unless we get a bunch more Initiates in this age group, Luke's little girl will be as well."

"Is this the group that Jydan will be in?"

"Yes. As things stand, he should be in a Clan with five Skywalkers. He will be one of the oldest; I think there's a little girl who's older," she paused for a moment as she tried to remember the name, "Darra Cerre. Her brother is already an Initiate."

"Will we get to meet them?"

"I'm sure that as you spend time at the crèche, you'll be able to. You can bring Jydan down there and stay if you want. It can be a really fun, if hectic place. Do you have any more questions for me?"

"I'm sure that we will, but not at the moment."

"I'll leave you to get settled in, and my Master and I will check on you in a few days if we don't hear from you," she tapped out a comm number for them, "This is the head groundskeeper's comm number. If you are really interested in helping with the Room of a Thousand Fountains, I'm sure that he'll be happy to hear from you."

Selek smiled warmly. He seemed much happier to know that he would be able to do something that took his hands, instead of his mind. "I'll do that, but maybe in a couple of days."

"That's fine. I'll leave you to get settled in. Did you want me to take Jydan down to the crèche, so that he's out of the way while you unpack?"

"I don't think that's necessary, dear. He's too little to get too much in the way." Myrrissa said.

Elisabeth nodded. "I'll leave you to your unpacking then, and I'll see Jydan and whoever in a couple of days."

"Thank you, dear."

* * *

Padmé entered the Healer's Hall that morning with a little trepidation. She was unaccustomed to taking it easy, but what Anakin had said made much more sense than he usually did. He had presented arguments that she couldn't refute easily—especially the fact that her family was growing up without her, and she was missing out on so much. 

Master Allie looked up from whatever work Padmé had interrupted. "Padmé," she said warmly. "What brings you here?"

"I was talking with Anakin, and he thinks I should take time off from the Senate until after the babies are born."

"Is this something that you would agree to doing?" She asked cautiously.

"I think I need to spend more time with my children," she said, dodging the actual question, but at the same time acknowledging that she had seriously considered the option.

"I can write up orders for you to be at home if you want. It's not strictly necessary, but I think you and the babies would do better."

Celia walked in, giving her mother a hug, then an appraising look. "Mom, what's wrong?"

"I think it's time for me to take some time off, while I can still be involved, rather than having it forced on me later."

"Who are you and what have you done with my mother?"

"I talked with your father about it last night. He said some things that convinced me that I've been neglecting my family."

"You aren't going to change your mind in a couple of days when you realize how boring we all are, will you?"

"I doubt that any of you are boring, darling. I'm going to keep up with what's going on in the Senate, Bail and Chis will keep me informed, and I promise not to go into the office more than twice a week, and to be home by supper if I do."

Celia snorted, obviously not believing her. "I haven't seen you home for supper more than once a week since you found out you were pregnant, Mother. I don't see how you expect to make that work."

"I expect the Senate to be run by Bail Organa. It will be good experience for him, and serve him well when I retire. I really hope that he will be elected Chancellor when I do."

"Are you going to retire for good?"

"Probably. Pooja is the Senator for Naboo now; I don't want to take that away from her, and I will have these two, and the rest of you to take care of. It will only be a couple more years, and I want to have the time to enjoy my children before I get old, before they get too much older, too."

"It'll be good to have you home, Mom. Are you sure that you want this?"

"Yes. Anakin said something about all of my children needing me around more; he made sure that I knew what you have been going through. I don't like that he knows you better than I do right now."

"It's ok, Mom. The Senate is important, too. We understand."

"It's not so important that I should be neglecting you."

"We have Dad, and each other."

"That's good of you to say, but I don't like that everyone's been unburdening themselves on Luke, either. I know that he's easy to talk to, and good at being a shoulder to cry on, but he's got his own family to worry about now, too."

Celia looked slightly guilty, but Padmé knew that she wouldn't have caught it if she hadn't known that Celia had done so, and recently. "I don't think that Luke's the only one that gets that treatment."

"I don't doubt that, but I know he's trying to help Cedric, and Leia, and on top of that, he's got Jasmine, and part of the bonding, at least for her, seems to be unloading all of the things she keeps quiet from the rest of us. I hear that she's downright turned into a chatterbox when she's around Luke."

"So you really want to stay home?"

"Yes, I do. Not because the Senate is not important to me, but because my children are more important than the Senate."

"Thanks, Mom. Are you going to start cooking dinner and everything?"

"Oh, dear," she said, sitting down. "I really have been away too much. There is a very good reason that Anakin and Elisabeth are the cooks of the house."

"What's that?"

"I can't cook. Mom and Sola both tried to teach me, but I couldn't cook, even at ten I would burn the simplest things, then when I was eleven I went into the Youth Diplomatic Corps, and by the time I was your age, I was hip deep in politics, Princess of Theed, and running a campaign for Queen of Naboo. I never had time to learn after that."

"So Leia not being able to cook is your fault, isn't it?"

"Bad genes, probably, yes."

"So will I be able to cook?"

"Why don't you get Anakin or Liz to try to teach you, or you could ask Sola when we go to Naboo next."

She laughed, because Padmé seemed to have no regrets for not having ever learned to be domestic. "Alright, Mom. I'll see that I ask someone more inclined to teaching me."

Master Allie interrupted them, having taken the time that they spent talking writing out the note for the Senators who would undoubtedly question her time off. "As much as I enjoy spending time with you, Padmé, and I'm sure that my Padawan is enjoying this conversation, I have a patient to see now. I'd like Celia with me."

"I understand, Master Allie, it's fine. I need to go talk to Bail and get everything settled."

Master Allie handed her the datadisc with the information that she needed on it, and Padmé left after one last hug for her daughter.

* * *

Master Tiin had never taken a Padawan. It was something very few Masters could say, but he was one, and now he understood what all the others were talking about. Julia called him, though. It was odd, very much so in his mind, but that was the only way that he could put it into words. She was her father's child, only truly happy when she was inside something that went fast, be it the cockpit or the underbelly. _But could he teach her? _The answer, at least according to the Force, was yes, but still he hesitated. Maybe she would do well enough at the Field Practice that he would start to feel comfortable with it. 

That was a while yet; maybe they could convince more than the handful of Jedi that usually came to at least tag along. It was doubtful, even that Anakin was coming, but he'd had quite a series of events this past few weeks; mock battles paled in comparison, but he always said that he found battle relaxing. Maybe that was still true.

There would also be quite a spectacle this time, as all three of the triplets were going up against a full division. Jasmine had finally decided that she wanted to participate, not that it made much difference, one way or the other. She'd never performed well against others; possibly she never would. He hated to think that about a fellow Jedi, it made him feel like he was letting her down in some way because he thought that way, but he felt that way still. Maybe she'd taken her first step, asking to participate. He concentrated on the adjustments to the starfighter he was working on; they needed to be precise; he couldn't allow himself to get distracted.

* * *

Lando had spent two days writing the letter he was sending back to Han. He'd included two comm numbers that were not his normal numbers. He figured one was for where he would be on Kashyyyk, and one was for his father-in-law. Han had avoided names, so he figured that the people he would be bringing would be rather important. He'd racked his brain for Leia's father's name, but couldn't remember it. He wasn't about to go trying to look it up. He sighed, turning the Holonet on as he ran through the letter for the last time. 

"And in other news, Chancellor Amidala is taking a step back from the Senate. The Healers at the Temple have ordered her to stop working for the duration of her pregnancy. However, in this reporter's opinion, this is an unprecedented move to try to control the Senate…" He flipped the sound off as the trash news program ran stock footage of the Chancellor, who looked a great deal like the wife of his friend, Han Solo. He remembered that she was married to a Jedi, but he didn't remember who it was. Leia's father, no doubt. Maybe the trashy news could tell him that much at least.

"…Skywalker. We hope that the expected six-month hiatus that the Healers insist on the Chancellor taking won't become permanent. In other news of the Skywalker clan, Leia Skywalker was seen leaving the Temple complex for an unknown destination, in the company of her Master, Aayla Secura, and one of the Temple's Navy pilots. Luke Skywalker is expected to leave shortly for Bothawui, for an unspecified length of time. He is expected to take his wife, Mara Jade Skywalker, as well as his Padawan, a reclusive child that we have yet to capture a picture of, though it is rumored to be his mistress.

"Obi-Wan Kenobi, the former Master of Anakin Skywalker, The Negotiator, has not been seen outside the Temple complex for over a year. With all the conflict in the Galaxy, his presence has been sorely missed, and we only hope that the Council has a good reason to keep one of it's most experienced members out of the field. He is reported to have taken a Padawan, but since we haven't seen them out, we can only assume that this person is quite young. Other Members of the Jedi Council have taken on members of the Skywalker Clan as their Padawans; it is likely he took one of Anakin Skywalker's triplets, who turned nine a short time ago.

He heard the sound of the door, and looked up to see Sev'rance Tann standing there. "Why are you watching this trash?"

"It's interesting," he said, shutting down the datapad, and pocketing the datadisc he'd been working on.

"Shaak Ti and her Padawan, Cedric Skywalker haven't been on a mission for a while, and since the Council seems to be keeping it's members close to the Temple with the death of former Grand Master Yoda, it is unlikely we will see this handsome face again any time soon." The reporter droned on, and Lando watched a good deal of emotions cross her face, and it seemed that she was just as stricken by the very young boy as any.

"How was your trip?" he asked, curiosity overtaking his fear of her for a moment.

She glanced down, her hand on her stomach. "Successful." The instinctively protective gesture was at odds with what he knew about her.

He didn't know what else to say, the face she'd just shown him was so unlike her Evil-Sith-Lady mask. "I was trying to write a letter to my friend. Your droids seem to think that if I don't respond to my friends, that they will think that something is amiss, and try to come rescue me."

"I will leave you to it. I expect that you can keep your friends away in a suitable fashion?"

"I live to serve," he said sarcastically.

"I expect compliance in this."

"Of course. I will get back to my letter."

"Who is it from?" she asked.

He picked up the datapad, which had the original letter stored in it's internal memory, and pulled up one of the holos of Han with the twins.

"This guy. He's gotten married and has twins. I need to tell him how cute they are without inflating his ego any more than it already is."

She examined the picture, and handed it back to him. "Nice."

"So I'll just get back to writing, and I'll see you sometime tomorrow, when you impose yourself on my schedule."

"I have no need to do that, unless you start getting out of hand." She smiled with the last word, casting a slight glance to his replaced hand. She left then, and he felt a mix of relief and dread.

He turned the holonews off; it had gone into speculation about which Senators were doing what to other Senators. He added a few more lines, and thought that it was ready to send off.

'Han,

The twins are cute; they obviously took after their mother. I'll be happy to see you and your wife, her father and the others. I can accommodate several dozen guests, as you know. I've set aside four rooms for your use, whenever you get here, since you didn't say when you were coming. I haven't been able to find any dealers with blue glo-stix in stock, so I think I'll need the ones you have. Supposedly it will take them six months to get the darn things in, and I'm sure you'll be here before then. There's a Queen in the colony, I'm sure of that now, but I think there's only the one colony. I've tried to keep them contained, but I can hardly get onto the _Falcon_ because of the droning. You know I could never part with the _Falcon,_ so we will have to duke it out with them.

Lando'

* * *

Mace wasn't expecting to be able to place Jasmine in one of his classes today. He really didn't know if he would be able to allow her into any of his classes yet, as young as she was, but he'd seen the lightsaber she'd constructed. It was the work of someone who knew a great deal about lightsaber construction; Anakin could have easily done it, but Jasmine? 

The thoughts of the revered Master settled as he approached the salle. Luke and Jasmine were waiting for him, and he could feel Anakin's presence nearby, although he had muted it considerably. He had yet to make an evaluation based on the first time that he'd taken a youngling into the ring. There was always a first time, but he doubted this would be it.

"We are here for you to evaluate her. How do you want to do this?" Luke asked.

"I'd like to see her individual forms first."

They stood to the side, watching her run through each of the forms, and she performed well. She was not flawless, but she was also nine. Her forms could be easily corrected with time and patience. When she finished, she came over to them. "That was better than I've seen from some who are much older than you."

She beamed under even that indirect praise. "Thank you, Master," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Now I'd like to duel with you," he said, and she looked up at Luke for conformation.

"It's up to you, but you would have to duel him at some point before you take your trials. He's not going to hurt you; this is just an evaluation of your skill level. You can't hold back with him, though, or he will wipe the floor with you."

"Yes, Master," she said, her demeanor changing as Luke spoke with her. She turned to him. "I am ready," she said, and he saw in her for the first time what Luke had seen all along. She would make a great Jedi, and that made him smile inwardly.

He walked with her to the center of the salle, and they faced off.

* * *

Jasmine lit her lightsaber, the core came out violet with a bronze shroud, she leapt at Master Windu and used the Force to try to block his parry attempt, and hit him with what would be a killing blow, had her saber been on a lethal setting. Master Windu surprised her though by abandoning the parry and rolling with her Force push, her momentum carried her past the Blade Master, she sensed his blade coming to her back, and she quickly brought her lightsaber over her shoulder blocking his blow as she hit the floor. Jasmine tucked into a roll as she landed using the force of Master Windu's blow to propel her away, she came to her feet about three meters away and twisted toward her opponent. As she came around she threw her saber at him, using the Force to guide it. 

Master Windu blocked the initial hit easily, however Jasmine was expecting that, instead of pulling the blade back to her hand right away, she sent it over his head, attempting to score a hit on his back, but the wily Jedi ducked just as she made her strike, he rolled over to her forcing her to call her blade back quickly to defend herself. Her blade hit her hand just as Master Windu started a flurry of blows, she parried them with some effort, but she blocked every strike, but he was FAST.

She'd never fought anyone this fast, for a second she wondered if he was going all out on her, her arms were starting to hurt and Jasmine knew she would have to do something quick if she were to stay in this contest any longer. She dove between Master Windu's legs, using her lightsaber to keep his green blade from striking her back. She used the Force to propel her to the other side as quickly as possible and twisted so she would be on her back bringing her lightsaber around intending to score a hit, but she was foiled yet again. She'd never fought anyone this good.

Master Windu jumped up and did a half twist and brought his lightsaber tip down as she moved out of his way and she heard the saber sing past her ear. She knew now she wasn't going to beat him. He was just too fast, and how someone so OLD got that FAST was beyond her. His quick strokes were starting to come in blindingly fast, she could barely keep up, more dodging than parrying his attacks, she soon realized that he was boxing her in, like a game of chess and she was about to be checkmated. The only thing she could do was prolong the engagement, she knew she wouldn't be able to force a stalemate in this game. She saw an opportunity, it wasn't enough to give her a winning edge, but it would make the Blade Master work for his victory. On Master Windu's downswing, she jumped, landed on the top of his head, sprang off it and flipped, as she twisted in the air, she caught a brief sight of Master Windu's face and was shocked to see a smile on his aging features. Master Windu then upped the ante and used the Force to pull her back, and she felt the sting of half a dozen hits before she hit the ground.

"Lesson one, never forget about the Force. The Sith won't," Master Windu said the smile still present.

"Yes, Master," Jasmine said, not knowing what else to say, the fight lasted all of five minutes, if that long. She rose slowly to her feet, feeling every bit of the torture she'd just put her muscles through.

"How do you feel you did?" Master Windu asked.

"Terrible, you haven't even broke a sweat and I feel like a herd of Banthas have just trampled me. My arms feel like they are made out of lead."

"Spoken like a Skywalker. Your Father seems to be impressed with your performance."

"Daddy's here?" Jasmine wilted.

"Yes, my little wallflower, I'm here, and you did an amazing job," Anakin's voice rang out through the arena.

"Yes, Jasmine, that was an incredible performance," Luke added.

"But he mopped the mat with me, Master. There was nothing I could do to stop it."

"Jasmine, Master Windu NEVER has to resort to the Force to end a evaluation for someone your age," Luke said.

"She is your daughter through and through, Anakin," Mace said, chuckling at Jasmine's self-depreciating assessment of her performance.

"Nah, I pouted for a week when you whipped my butt the first time," Anakin said.

"You got beat by Master Windu, Daddy?"

"Of course I did, in fact I think he might still be able to beat me, but it would take longer. You're only nine, Jasmine, you don't know everything yet."

"Yes, Daddy."

"Now as to your placement, Padawan Skywalker. I will be placing you in level four advanced lightsaber class. Your brother is in that class. Be warned though, the youngest member after you is Cedric at thirteen. I expect the others to give you a hard time, though that is frowned upon, there will be little I can do to stop it, however respect in the class is earned by ability, I hope that you can do as well there as you have here. If you can, they will not have doubts for long."

"Yes, Master Windu."

* * *

Anakin was home about an hour before he usually was, and there was no one there. He shrugged to himself, wondering what he could do with himself, and wandered into the kitchen, deciding to fix dinner, and while he was still trying to decide what to fix, he was wrapped in a hug from his wife. 

"Hello, Angel. Is there something that you'd like for dinner?"

She thought for a few moments, but nothing in particular seemed to catch her favor. "I can't think of anything special."

"I can't decide what I want to fix."

"Maybe we can consult someone else to figure out what we should have for dinner."

He laughed at her, finally deciding to fix something that, once he finished with chopping the vegetables for, would only take a couple of minutes to cook. He started to get vegetables out, and Padmé asked, "So what have you decided to fix?"

"Last time I was off-planet, I went to this little restaurant, that was kind of out of the way. They had something called stir-fry there. It consists of a large amount of vegetables, a little sauce, some meat, and it's all cooked at a fairly high temperature, but for a really short time, basically just long enough to cook the meat through, and the meat is cut into thin strips."

"Sounds good, so what are you doing now?"

"Cutting up the vegetables for it. They need to be in thin strips as well, it seems."

"So what did you do today?"

"I watched Jasmine's evaluation, had a short Council meeting, and a Lightsaber class."

"How did her evaluation go?"

He grinned at her, "She's going into the same class as Cedric."

"Didn't he take three tries before Master Windu accepted him into any class?"

"Yes, but you should have seen Jasmine. I don't think even I was as good as she was today when I was her age."

"You also had no Jedi training at that age either."

"True, but she wasn't even using the Force to improve her technique, and it took him nearly five minutes to beat her."

"I'm impressed. I don't think even Luke went five minutes with Master Windu on any evaluation."

"He could by the time he was fourteen or fifteen, but she's nine."

"I saw Master Allie today, and at least as far as the Senate knows, I'm practically on total bed rest for the rest of my pregnancy. I'm allowed to go in once a week for four hours. She was mean."

"She knows you. You'll overdo whatever she permits, and she knows it. Besides, this gives you an out, so that the Senate doesn't abuse you. Bail knows better, but the rest of them could care less about this family."

"How did your lightsaber class go?"

He sighed. "I think I'm getting old. My Padawan group beat me."

"How many were you fighting?"

"Six."

Padmé snickered at him, knowing that he was being pathetic on purpose so that she would be sympathetic to him. "I don't know. That sounds about fair."

"You used to pity them if I took on less than twenty."

"They haven't beaten you before."

"I think that I've finally got a group that has learned the benefits of working together. That's what they are supposed to be learning anyway. Corran is going to be Knighted soon, that will cut them down. He's good at getting them to work as a team. I'm thinking that he's going to be as good as any of us in his own area."

"By us you mean you and Obi-Wan and the children?"

"Well, of course. What other 'us' is there when I talk Jedi?"

"Who is in your class, anyway?"

"Right at the moment, just the remnants of Boma Clan."

"Luke and Leia's Clan?"

"Yes. Leia should be in there, too, but she's been a little busy."

"So there will still be six, once she gets back?"

"I think. There are a couple of the others that are about ready to be Knighted, but I could see Corran getting it before we get back from Bespin."

"Who's going to take over your class while you are gone?"

"A couple of the members of the Dantooine Council are coming here for other business. One of them has agreed to do so."

"Do I know them?"

"I don't know if you do. Kass Tod has agreed to take my class, and Mak Lotor is coming with her."

"What's wrong?"

He sighed, both relieved and unhappy that she could read him as well as she could. "I watched every member of the Dantooine Council die, most of them on a planet called Jabiim. That was a wretched place. I never want to go back there."

"What about Master Tod and Master Lotor?"

"Killed together by a hailfire droid, while they were still Padawans."

"I'm sorry, Ani. I wish I could make it better for you."

"Being here for me makes it better. I don't think there's anything else that I need, except some time. I still look around the Temple and see death as a backdrop. It's disconcerting."

"I couldn't imagine. I would go crazy."

"I know. I wish sometimes I could find a few people that hadn't died in front of me so that I could just escape for a little while."

"It's ok, Ani," she said as she came up behind him and wrapped her arms around him again.

He put down the knife, and twisted in her embrace so that he could hold her as well. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"Being here. I know it isn't easy to just quit working, especially for someone as driven as you are."

"I'm going back, Ani. I want to finish my term, but then I'm retiring."

"Good," he said, and he held her tightly, picking her up, and as he did, he felt something against his stomach from hers. "Are they kicking you already?"

"You felt that?"

"Yeah," he said, grinning from ear to ear.

"You're excited, aren't you?"

"Yeah," he admitted, looking for all the world like he was back in time, when they were expecting Luke and Leia, he was so eager.

"I'm glad. You are going to have a lot of responsibility for these two, for the first couple of years, anyway."

"I'm ready," he said, kissing her.

"Oh, Mom, Dad, not in the _kitchen_!" Liz said as she walked into the dining room, seeing them.

Anakin broke the kiss off and looked into the other room, "I didn't hear you come in, Liz."

"I just got home. You two were probably too busy being all mushy."

He turned back to chopping the vegetables. "I don't recall this being your kitchen, so I believe that I am allowed to do as I please, since it is, in fact, my kitchen."

Liz looked at him suspiciously. "I hope you're teasing, but I can't tell anymore."

He looked at her, his eyes twinkling merrily. "I know I've been hard to read over the last couple of months, but I haven't lost my sense of humor."

"Ok, Dad. But as much as I love the fact that you and Mom are still very much in love, I don't want to see it."

He chuckled, as his second daughter's discomfort radiated to him through the Force. "We shall try not to be too demonstrative for you. I make no promises as to what you walk in on."

"I'll remember to knock."

"Good. Now, what kind of sauce would be good with this?"

"What is it?" she asked, and he explained stir-fry to her, using much more technical language than he had with Padmé. She looked through the various sauces that they had that were already prepared, and he finished chopping the vegetables.


	13. A Familiar Problem

Chapter 12

Jasmine's sudden interest in the Field Practice puzzled Luke. "Why do you want to go all of a sudden?"

"'Cause you are."

"Have you even tried to learn to fly yet?"

"No, but it can't be too hard, though. Jul's been doing it since she was five."

Luke shook his head at that. "Alright. You need to learn anyway. I'll see if we can get practices set up for you when we get back."

"Thank you, Master. When are we leaving for Bothawui?"

"I've got one thing I want to see through before we leave."

"Cedric?"

"Yes, Padawan. I'm going to see if I can get him to talk to Dad."

"That will be good for him. He'll be mad though."

"I don't care."

"I know. He needs to be fixed."

"If you want to put it that way, yes, I suppose he does."

"I can't wait to get to Bothawui. My first mission. Are you excited, Luke?"

"I suppose, but for different reasons."

He watched her twirl in a circle, displaying her eagerness to be on a mission of her very own. "Are you going to make him talk to Dad today?"

"I will tomorrow if he isn't up early with nightmares."

"Ok."

"Did you want to go to that class Obi-Wan is teaching?"

Jaz thought about it for a little bit. "It sounds boring, really, Master."

"All the more reason for you to go."

"But why?"

"Two reasons. One, a Jedi must learn patience, especially with things that you don't like. Two, you might actually learn something useful."

"Yes, Master."

"Obi-Wan said you could come to class with him today, and I think it will be good for you to get out of the Temple."

"Today?" she squeaked.

"Yes, today, my Padawan. No time like the present. You can go to Lightsaber class, too. We'll get you set up for regular classes once we get back."

"Yes, Master."

* * *

Leia waited while the shock of what she'd said sank in for Han. "I thought Anakin Skywalker was your father." 

"He is, was, always my father."

"So…he was Darth Vader? He was a Sith?"

"Yes. The Empire was run by Emperor Palpatine and his lap dog, Darth Vader."

"Leia, you're talking about your father."

"Actually, I'm not really. The way that Vader was is so different from the way that Dad is. I'm still dealing with some of the issues that I have because of some of the things that Vader did. I'm not sure I'll ever be able to see them as one person and be able to be in the same room with my father."

"You have to forgive him, Leia'wa."

"I have, Master, but in a very real sense, it hasn't even been two months since I found out that Vader was Anakin Skywalker, and to top it off, my father."

"You have forgiven your father for being Vader, but you have not forgive Vader for hurting you."

"Vader was a Sith."

"He does not require your forgiveness, Leia'wa, but you need to give it so that you can let go."

"You are right, as you always are, Master. Master Qui-Gon said much the same thing to me."

"It will take you time, I understand. But it must be done, Leia'wa."

_There is no try,_ a voice whispered to her. "Yes, Master. I just haven't fully dealt with it yet. I've been working on getting ready for the twins."

"We can do that together, you and I. It will help you reconnect with me."

"Thank you, Master." She turned back to Han. "What else did you want to know about?"

"What did Vader do to you?"

She sighed. "We had received the schematics to the Death Star, and Vader was trying to retrieve them. He caught us in orbit over Tatooine, we had flown there to see if we could get General Kenobi to join us; Father said that he had been a great man, helping out in the Clone Wars."

"The Clone Wars?"

"About the time my parents were married, since the times coincide, Palpatine tried to have Mom assassinated, which occurs roughly in the same time frame that it did in this universe, and that's how Dad got in touch with Mom again. Obi-Wan had gone to Geonosis to see if he could track down the person responsible for the assassination attempt, but ended up getting himself captured. Dad found out about it, and went against orders, and Mom and Dad went to Geonosis to save him, and ended up getting caught themselves. They were all put into an arena, to be publicly executed by huge, wild, ravenous beasts, but they survived until the Jedi who were supposed to be going to rescue Obi-Wan got there. Over two hundred Jedi went to that battle, less than forty went home, none of them would have gone home if Master Yoda hadn't arrived with the Clones when he did."

"That was the first battle of the Clone Wars. Dad lost his right arm, and they went back to Naboo, and got married before they returned to Coruscant."

"So the end of the Clone Wars was signified by what?"

"The destruction of the Jedi Temple, the declaration of the Empire, our birth, take your pick."

Han was stunned by her revelation. "Three years, was all it took to destroy the Republic?"

"No, it took most of Palpatine's lifetime, maneuvering people into position so that he could take over, then waiting for Dad to grow up, and something to happen that he could corrupt Dad with. Mom dying in childbirth with us was the thing that he used to tempt Dad to the dark side."

"So what happened then?"

"He drove events toward the very thing he feared. Mom died, and Bail took me home with him; Luke went to Tatooine and lived with Aunt Beru and Uncle Owen, and Obi-Wan watched over him."

"And you didn't know about your true parentage until what?"

"Luke told me, as he went off to let himself be captured. He wanted to confront Vader; he knew the truth, that Vader was once our father. They battled up on the second Death Star while we disabled the shield from the surface. The rebel fleet came in; Lando flew the _Falcon,_ and he was instrumental in ensuring the destruction of the Death Star, to hear him tell it, but it was confirmed by some of the other pilots, so I believed him. I felt Luke go away, a short time before the thing was destroyed, like he'd gone far away, or into hyperspace."

"I thought you weren't trained in the Force in the other universe," Han said.

"I wasn't. It was our twin-bond. It had always been active, like it was on low intensity. Always. I felt through my whole childhood that there was a part of me missing. I even told Bail once; he sighed, and just held me for a long time. I never talked about it again. I think I was nine."

"So when you saw Luke again?"

She shook her head. "It didn't become any more active. It only flared to life when my mind learned what my heart had always known."

"And then he disappeared on you?"

"To the past. I argued with you about it, because you didn't understand, and the Rebel pilots who'd fought in the Battle of Endor landed, and we had a huge party; I went to sleep, and got caught up in whatever had taken Luke and Dad."

"So you hadn't even had a whole day to think about Vader being your Dad before you got thrown into the past."

"Right, and we were there for about three weeks, and then we came back to the present after the Invasion of Naboo and the Massacre in the Senate."

"And you've had to cope with a marriage you weren't expecting, and twins, and being a Jedi, and…"

"Right."

"I'm here for you Leia. Whatever you need."

"I know, Han, and I'm grateful. Time is the only thing that will fix this."

"Very good, Leia'wa. Time and Meditation."

She groaned, but knew that her master was right. "Yes, Master. I have been trying."

"You never answered my question."

"That's your fault. I tried and you distracted me in the middle of it."

"Ok, you are right. What did Vader do to you?"

"As I said before, we had received the schematics to the Death Star, and Vader was trying to retrieve them. He caught us in orbit over Tatooine; we had flown there to see if we could get Uncle Obi-Wan to join us. Vader caught my ship, and so I sent R2-D2 and C-3PO into an escape pod, and told R2 where to find Obi-Wan, he'd had a little contact with my father; at least enough to give him planetary coordinates to the place he lived.

"R2 had the complete Death Star plans in a datadisc I gave him. As you know, Luke was on Tatooine, and he actually got a hold of the two droids before they could find Obi-Wan, or Ben as he called himself by then. While Ben and Luke were trying to get to Alderaan, I was held captive aboard the first Death Star, by Darth Vader, who was actually under the command of Grand Moff Tarkin."

"How did that work?"

"I don't know. Maybe it was punishment. He tried to torture information out of me. They wanted the location of the Rebel Base. I didn't give in. That was when Tarkin made me watch the destruction of Alderaan. He told me that if I gave him the location that he would spare the planet. I gave them an old location, Dantooine, which had been abandoned."

"So, he tortured you, and stood by and watched your planet get blown to bits. What else did he do to you?"

"Well, there was the time on Bespin…"

"Really? This is going to be a fun one."

She laughed, he just didn't understand yet. "He came, because Boba Fett had told him where we were going. He captured us, tortured you, froze you in carbonite, and handed your newly frozen body over to Boba Fett so that he could take you to Jabba the Hutt and collect a bounty on you."

"Why did Jabba put a bounty on my head?"

"I think you owed him money."

"Why did I owe Jabba money?"

"I'm not quite sure. You never explained yourself to me much."

"Was there anything else that Vader did to you?"

"He cut off Luke's hand, and put him through hell."

"I said you."

She realized that there was only one time that he'd ever done anything to her directly. "No, nothing."

"Leia'wa, you said he was under Tarkin's command, and that Tarkin was a despicable human being. Would he have ordered your father to torture you?"

"I could see that happening, besides Vader never exceeded Imperial interrogation protocols. I don't think he enjoyed the process."

"Would he have had any other choice, if you looked at it from his perspective?"

She tried to put herself in Vader's shoes. "I don't think so."

"What about when he captured the ship? Could he have done something else?"

"I'm sure they could have blown it up, it would have been easier, even. In fact, after they boarded the ship and everyone was off, they did just that, so that they wouldn't have to answer questions about keeping diplomats prisoner. Keeping me alive was more trouble than killing me, but they still needed to find the plans."

"He could have killed you, and he didn't. He didn't have a choice as to his actions aboard the Death Star, and later when he did have a choice, he took a less painful route for you. He probably could have easily killed Luke, but chose instead to simply take his hand. I think somewhere in his unconscious mind he knew who you were, both of you."

"I'd heard that Vader's specialty was breaking tough prisoners. When I got captured, I didn't think he would stop until I broke, but he only tried once."

"So what happened to you is not as bad as you thought, if you put it into the proper perspective."

She hung her head. "It's really not. He could have been someone else, someone who wouldn't have stopped. I forgive him," she said, and as she did, she felt like a massive weight lifted from her heart, and her shoulders.

"I know you do, Leia'wa. I'm happy that you can do this; it will make Anakin happy. He will be glad to have his daughter back."

* * *

"They don't like this, Padmé," Bail said, sounding amused. He'd come to the Temple so that they could have their first of many briefings. 

"They'll just have to get used to it, I really don't need to be there anyway. I can sign or veto the bills that come out from home just as well as my office. Chis can preside over the floor debates; he practically does it anyway, and he knows how to stick to a schedule. If there's someone I actually need to meet with personally, I can drop by and do that. Now the anti-trust legislation against the InterGalactic Banking Clan, that's due to be brought to the floor tomorrow, right?"

"Yes, it was a tough fight to get it out of committee, but it's relatively unscathed. I'm forced though to wonder just what kind of self-serving crap the minority will try to put into it once it hits the floor. Rest assured that the Banking Clan will attempt to filibuster this one though."

"Thanks, Bail, that will just make me sleep SO much better at night," Padmé said, sarcasm dripping from her words, "Do we have the votes to enforce cloture?"

"I don't know; I'd like to say it'll be easy, but nothing has been your whole term."

"Tell me about it. We'll have to rally the troops on this one."

"Yeah, and there are some that are ostensibly on our side that have grown increasingly unreliable."

She shook her head, having no real answer to that. "Ok, what about the Free Trade Act?"

"There a lot of special interests that want it stopped, they make too much money from the way things are now to support ending all trade restrictions in the Republic."

"This one bill would solve so many problems, I don't understand how people can be so short-sighted."

"Not everyone has your vision, Padmé. You see the Republic as one nation, unified. Too many people see it as an alliance of convenience."

"Yes, it's a place to cry to when they are in trouble, but when it comes time to help someone else they don't want to step up."

"Maybe we need to restructure the government. Start fresh."

"What exactly do you have in mind?"

"Well, right now every member system mints its own money, they all accept Republic Dataries, but local currency is usually preferred, especially on the Outer Rim. We've done good taking back control of the military, but I wonder just how many PSFs have more potent weapons than they are supposed under the law. Also we have no mechanism in place to nationalize them if we would need to."

"These are not the only issues we are facing. The Republic could so easily tear itself apart with things the way they are now. With what Cedric showed us I'm afraid we'll be heading to Civil War soon if nothing is done about it."

"There is only so much we can do about it, with the system we currently have."

"Find out how much support there would be for a secret convention to reform the government, nothing definite, just if there would be interest in it."

"Of course."

* * *

Jasmine went with Obi-Wan after breakfast. He got her a couple of datachips, which had her lessons on them and the texts that she'd need to be reading. "You're leaving for Bothawui tomorrow, right?" 

She nodded.

"Well, let's get you introduced to the class, shall we?"

She nodded again, and they went into the classroom. The only other person there in Jedi robes was Cedric. "Hello class, this is Jasmine, and she'll be here today and tomorrow, then she'll be back in a month or so, but we want to get her settled in here, and let her meet everyone. There's an open seat over there by Cedric, Jasmine, if you'd like to sit there?" She nodded, and went over and sat next to her brother.

"Hey, I thought I'd NEVER see you in this class. Your eyes glaze over just like Dad's when Mom talks about work," he whispered.

"Master Luke thought it would be a good class for me," she whispered back.

"He did, huh? Well, I guess that means that having big brother as your Master hasn't gotten you off easy. Heard what you did in your evaluation with Master Windu, nice job, Jaz," he whispered, as Obi-Wan finished checking off his roll.

"Alright class, who can tell me the different forms of government we have in the galaxy?"

Jasmine didn't know, but a good number of hands shot up. "Alyssa?" Obi-Wan called on one of the girls.

"We are a representative democracy, or a republic."

"Very good, Alyssa. Who can name another form of government?"

Jasmine felt very small as most of the hands shot up again, she slunk down into her chair, embarrassed.

"Cedric," Obi-Wan called.

"Constitutional monarchy, like on Naboo," Cedric answered, then Jasmine saw him see her, he leaned over.

"Don't worry about it, Jaz, he's just reviewing what we learned yesterday," Cedric said, he seemed much more relaxed in this class than any other time Jasmine had seen him in a long time.

"Ok, thanks for telling me."

"What else are big brothers for?"

The next ten minutes were taken up with the students finishing the list that they had been given the previous class.

"Very good, class. As Alyssa said the Galactic government is a Republic, now who leads this Republic of ours?" Obi-Wan asked, and almost all the hands shot up, but he called on her. "Jasmine? I know you know the answer to this one."

She did, but that didn't mean she could say so. The hands dropped as everyone looked at her. "Chancellor Amidala," she said, her voice not much above a whisper, but enough to carry to Obi-Wan, since the class was being so quiet.

"Very good, and she is the leader of the lawmaking body of our government, can someone tell me who they are?" he looked around, finally deciding on one of the oldest boys, someone Liz's age. "Livo?"

"The Senate. The Chancellor actually doesn't have a lot of power."

"That's not precisely true. It may not look like the Chancellor has a lot of power, when you look at it on paper, but she is the leader of her party, she is the face of the Republic, so she can and does sway public opinion to her side. She is a natural leader, which is why she's Chancellor in the first place. She has every bit of power that each person who is on her side will give to her, in voting for the legislation that she wants to pass. She also sets the agenda for the main floor, and she can ensure that the things she wants out on the floor get out of their respective committees."

Someone else raised their hand, "Yes, Selene?"

"I was wondering if you knew the Chancellor personally?"

"I met the Chancellor thirty-six years ago. I have had occasion to cross paths with her many times since. I have a great deal of respect for her, and she is a friend."

He called on another girl, a Togruta. "Sillise?"

"Why are we talking about this?"

"That is a good question, and the answer is that the first step in learning Political Strategy, is to learn about the basic structure of governments that you can deal with. For instance, if you are dealing with a republic, you can expect certain things from that type of government, protocol will be a certain form, which is different from dealing with a hereditary monarchy. "

Class continued as Obi-Wan led a lively discussion in the differences and expectations of the different forms of government. He always stressed though that there could be exceptions to every generalization he gave. Jasmine was leaving the class with her head swimming, how she was going to remember all that had been said was a mystery to her, and there was going to be more tomorrow, when Obi-Wan called her back.

* * *

Jaedrea didn't believe the rumors, there is NO way Jasmine could've held out with Master Windu for five whole minutes, but the Temple was all a twitter over it. That and Jasmine's new lightsaber, if she didn't know better she'd say Master Windu threw the fight and Luke had built that lightsaber for her. Ever since she'd seen it for the first time, she'd been trying to figure out how the Little Bit did it. Only the fact that their Father was as perplexed as she was had convinced her that Luke HADN'T built it for her. She knew that the big lummox wasn't capable of anything that Father couldn't do. 

There was more, how DARE he take Jasmine as his padawan before Julia got chosen. She didn't really understand why Jul wasn't as upset over it as she was. Little miss goody two shoes had her brother wrapped around her little finger so bad and no one saw it! It really drove her crazy. Here she was, Master Obi-Wan out right REFUSING to let her be tested by Master Windu, and her brother takes the little WALLFLOWER! She who had never won a duel in five years of lightsaber training? What was wrong with the universe! These thoughts kept running through her head and she wasn't really paying attention when she plowed right into Luke.

"Oops!" Luke said.

"Watch it!" Jae said.

"What's wrong with you?" he asked, DARING to sound concerned about her feelings.

"Nothing."

"Poodoo, Jae, now spill."

"I don't want to talk about it, Golden Boy," and she started to stalk off, but she didn't get far as she soon discovered that she was floating six inches off the floor.

"PUT ME DOWN!"

"As soon as you tell me why you are so angry; it's not good for you."

"So now that you have your precious Padawan that means that you can boss everyone around, huh?"

"No, the fact that I'm 14 years older, a Knight, and much more mature gives me that right, though right now I must say I've seen two-year-old younglings in the crèche more mature than you are acting right now."

Jae screamed; she just couldn't stand it!

"Ok, if you won't talk to me, you'll have to talk with Obi-Wan, come along."

Jae couldn't refuse as her oldest sibling had the NERVE to float her all the way to Obi-Wan's classroom all the way in the Non Force-Sensitive complex.

* * *

Obi-Wan had kept Jasmine after class to help her catch up, and he was nearly done when he heard an odd sound outside the door. Before he could do anything about it, Luke came in, his Padawan trailing after the young Knight. He watched Luke's eyes dart around the room, quickly assessing the situation. He did not look happy. He also noted the sour expression that Jae turned on Jasmine, who for her part, looked confused, and a little bit hurt. 

"You have Lightsaber class in a few minutes, Padawan. Please go there now. I know you were getting caught up on this class, but I think we are going to be home a day or two longer now," he said, his usually animated tone flat.

She simply scooped her datapad up, said, "Yes, Master," and left.

He turned to Jae, and said, "You won't talk to me, so now _we_ are going to talk to Obi-Wan."

He noticed then that Jae hadn't come into the room under her own power, that Luke had wound her up with tendrils of the Force, ensnaring her in a cage, for all intents and purposes, and to top it off, he was using her own anger to feed it. That was enough to make him nearly burst out laughing, but he knew that doing so wouldn't improve her mood, which was dangerously dark as it was.

"And what is it that we need to discuss, Luke?"

"I have a problem with your Padawan's current attitude toward me. Most specifically her anger. I've never even seen Dad this mad," he said. Obi-Wan caught the significance of the statement, and he knew he looked slightly startled. His eyes narrowed as he looked at Jae, opening the bond with her more, and he was shocked by how familiar he was with the sensation he got from her. The anger that she felt strongly reminded him of the anger Anakin had felt on Mustafar. He shuddered as he shut the bond down, more glad than he'd ever been that he'd never had to go through that reality.

"He has been."

"When?"

"Mustafar."

"Oh," he said, sensing Obi-Wan's reluctance to take that particular issue further. "That's not good."

"No it is not. Shall we see if we can root the cause of it out?" Obi-Wan asked.

Luke modified the structure he was holding Jae with, which had not been allowing her to speak. They both looked at her. "What?"

"I believe, Padawan, that Luke is expecting you to explain to me why you are upset with him."

"I'm not," she said, her voice the picture of calm, belying the rage inside her.

"You are upset about something, my very young Padawan. I would like to know what." Obi-Wan said, his tone one that even made Anakin wince when it wasn't directed at him.

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Too bad."

"I don't want to talk about it with Luke here."

Obi-Wan considered this for a moment; it was not entirely unreasonable to remove Luke from the situation, since he seemed to be part of her problem.

"Luke, do you mind if I speak with her alone?"

"No, I'd actually rather be miles from her now, as badly as she's controlling her output."

Obi-Wan had hoped that the emotional overload he was getting from her had been simply through their bond, but he knew Luke was right, and he was just wishing. He nodded. "Very well, you should tell your Father about this situation. He needs to know."

"NO! Don't tell Daddy! Please, Master. Luke, don't tell him!"

"No, Jaedrea, your Father needs to know this. I will be conferring with him after our talk anyway."

Jaedrea sulked in the Force cage. Luke turned to leave and Obi-Wan called him back.

"This little trap is very inventive, Luke. I wonder if this might be modified to use on the Sith."

"I'm sure it could, Ben," Luke said, and Obi-Wan knew he was too emotionally exhausted to keep his memories straight. He then left.

Obi-Wan turned all of his attention on Jaedrea. "Now Padawan, why are you so angry?"

"Because, Jasmine is getting everything she wants and I'm not getting anything I want!"

"What is she getting that she wants?"

"She tested with Master Windu, and she's getting to go on a mission already, and she hasn't even been a Padawan for two months yet. And she got a special lightsaber, because I don't believe she built it."

"It sounds like you are listing things that you want, and have not gotten yet. Things that she doesn't necessarily want."

"That's not true. I'm sure she asked Luke for all of those things."

"I doubt that. The mission to Bothawui was a random assignment, given to Luke weeks before he took Jasmine as his Padawan, for his first assignment back after Korriban. Jasmine had nothing to do with it."

"Yes, but she's not ready to go on a mission yet; I am."

"You are not in a position to decide either your readiness or hers."

"But we haven't gone on a mission, if they are assigned randomly."

"That is my doing, Jaedrea. I had taken myself off the rotation before I took you as a Padawan, so that I could focus on this class."

"Which Jasmine is now in, so she gets you, too!"

"Cedric is also in this class, and I believe that Leia plans to join when they get back from Kashyyyk."

"So?"

Obi-Wan sighed, feeling the irrationality of the statement that only teenagers and younger children could come up with. "How is it different? Why is it ok for Leia and Cedric to take this class and not Jasmine?"

"Because it's not fair!"

"You may take this class if you like, Jae, but it conflicts with your Flight class," he felt her anger flare at that statement. She was so like her father it was scary. He tried a different tactic. "Have you considered the possibility that she's ready for Master Windu's class?"

"Ha! If she's ready for Master Windu's class, I'm ready to graduate from it," Jaedrea said with a bitter tone in her voice. "I've never even seen her win a Lightsaber battle."

"Don't be so sure, Jaedrea. Patience is important for any Jedi. Your sister is very patient and that is why she is now more advanced than you. Indeed, I think she's been more advanced than you for some time."

"Then why didn't you take her as your Padawan! Everyone loves her and no one even likes me."

"That is not true, I took you on as my Padawan because I felt it was the will of the Force, and I care very deeply for you, however, you are proving that you need my guidance with every word."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means you have a very long way to go before you will be a Jedi, Jaedrea. Now, I am going to send you to our quarters where you will meditate on this until you can move on your own." Obi-Wan flicked his wrist and she floated off looking at him in horror.

* * *

Anakin was enjoying having Padmé for lunch for a change. Things between them hadn't been like this since just after their wedding, at least in this timeline. His original memories never held such blissful peace. He then felt his son approaching; this wasn't going to be good news. Lately, Luke never talked to him unless it was bad news. It saddened him, but he also understood that Luke was busy putting his own life back together. 

"Luke's coming," he announced.

"Oh, good, I think it's been about a month that I've seen him outside of breakfast."

"Yes, that's true, unfortunately I don't think this is a social call."

"Jasmine?"

"I don't think so, and its not Cedric either," he closed his eyes then they popped open, "Jae."

"What has she done now?" Then the door chime sounded.

"I think we are about to find out. Come in, Luke!"

"Hello, Father, Mother." He said, sounded emotionally drained.

"So formal, dear heart," Padmé said as she got up and hugged her son.

"Sorry, long day."

"I can tell. So what happened?"

"It's Jae. She's got herself wrapped up in rage. I don't know what caused it, but it scares me. It was hotter than anything I felt off of you, ever."

"That is disturbing. I assume you took her to Obi-Wan?"

"Yes, I did. I think she's jealous of Jasmine."

"Why would she be jealous of Jasmine?" Padmé asked, sounding concerned.

"I don't know, but there needs to be some kind of intervention or we'll lose her."

"Is it that bad?"

"You should remember how easily the dark side comes to anyone, Mother."

Padmé paled, and said, "Of course, Luke."

Anakin got the distinct sense that his wife just came head-on to the fact that Luke was not the same anymore. "What did you have in mind, son?"

"A variation on what we've got planned with Cedric."

"What have you got planned for Cedric?" Padmé asked.

Luke looked at Anakin and Anakin looked at Luke.

"Tell me," Padmé said, her voice getting a dangerous note to it.

Anakin and Luke told Padmé what they had planned and why, she was somewhat less than pleased.

* * *

Luke woke to the turmoil that he'd become familiar with over the last few weeks, and he didn't even need Jasmine to wake him anymore before he woke to it. He woke his father, who headed for their destination. He trotted out on to the balcony, where Cedric was in tears. "I don't understand, Luke." 

"I know little brother, but I think it's time to appeal to a more knowledgeable source."

"Who's that?"

"The person that I helped turn back to the light."

"Really? You mean I actually get to find out?" he asked, as the curiosity dried his tears.

"Come on, let's go meet him."

Cedric looked happy, but when they got to the room, he looked confused. "Why are we going to the Sith Artifact room?"

"Because that's where he is right now."

"Why's he even allowed in there?"

"Because." Luke said as he opened the door, and he heard the breathing of Darth Vader.

"See, I told you that he's here."

"Does he always breathe that loud?"

"Master Yoda told me the first time that I met him, 'Direct your question at me, you should. Polite it is,' when I asked a question about him to someone else." Vader's rumbling bass said.

"Ask him." Luke said encouraging him to go in the direction of the suit, which was examining the Lightsabers hanging on the wall. Luke moved over closer to his father, away from the suit.

"Excuse me, sir." Cedric said, addressing the suit.

The suit turned and looked down at him. "Yes, young Skywalker?"

Luke could see Cedric visibly swallowing. "I wanted to ask you about your redemption."

"What do you want to know about it, Cedric Skywalker?"

"Well, how long did it take?"

The suit took on a contemplative pose, pausing for a while. "I would say that it took four years from the time that I first met Luke and understood his significance."

Cedric looked over at Luke. "How old were you when you first met him?"

"Nineteen." Cedric couldn't seem to reconcile it in his head. "Don't worry about the math of that right now."

"Ok." He turned back to the suit. "So understanding who Luke was did what for you?"

The suit sighed. "I was able to understand that certain things which I thought were true, were not. That the way of the Sith is a way of lies."

"What is your name, sir?"

"I will tell you the answer to another question, the one that you meant to ask. My name was Darth Vader."

"How come I've never heard of you?"

"I never precisely existed."

"Is it because your existence would have been a violation of the Rule of Two?"

"No. I was the Apprentice of Darth Sidious, just as Darth Maul was. The two apprenticeships were not concurrent."

"Darth Sidious died a long time ago. Uncle Obi-Wan killed him."

"That is not exactly what happened, but the past is not why you are here."

"It's not the truth, though?" He asked, confused.

"It is not the entire truth. I was led to believe that you wanted an explanation of the mechanics of bringing someone to the light."

"Yes, sir."

"You have a connection with someone on the Dark Side?"

"I-yes, sir."

"How do they feel to you? Is there turmoil inside them?"

"I don't know, she feels…confused."

"Do you know why she is confused?"

"She cares for me, but it's not in line with her Sith teachings. It happened on Berma Pleaix."

"What exactly happened?"

"I don't want to talk about it," he said, his standard answer coming before he could stop himself.

"If you don't talk about it, I cannot help you."

Cedric sighed. "Master Ti was in negotiations; they threw a fit because I was to be allowed in the proceedings. I felt that it would jeopardize the mission if we pressed too hard to get me in, so I went out into the town to see how people felt about the trade deal."

"And you were captured?" the suit asked him. Luke marveled at how Cedric was opening up to them, not even realizing who he was talking to. Maybe that was what he'd needed. Talking to someone without a face seemed somehow easier for the boy, who had pushed everyone else away, even his Master to an extent, according to their father.

"I felt a dart, and everything was black. I woke up, stripped of my uniform, and most everything else, too. _She_ was there," he revealed. "The first thing she told me was that she wanted me to be a father for her child. I thought the idea so preposterous; I think I laughed at her. I think she wanted a child to raise and be her apprentice. All she's known is the life of a Sith."

Luke felt a tremor of anger come from his Father, but it just as quickly passed.

"That was the way that Darth Maul was raised as well."

Cedric nodded, "She offered herself to me, passion and lust. I told her 'there is no passion, there is serenity.'"

"That isn't exactly true. I'm sure that didn't make her happy, though."

"No, not really. She told me to explain my own existence. I told her that Mom and Dad considered carefully my existence, and only then decided to go ahead with it, and that each of my siblings were planned for."

"That isn't true, although you had no reason to know that."

"How do you know?"

"Your mother is currently pregnant, is she not?"

"Yes," he said, "That was a shock, even to Dad. I see what you are saying. But that was what I told her, and it did make her really mad. She was mad because I could control my reactions to her, even though she was trying to manipulate me into wanting her. So to try to break my control, she kissed me," he paused for a moment, but then continued without needing to be prompted. "She tried to use the Force on my mind at the same time, a double assault, but I Force-pushed her away, because I was losing the battle," he continued his story, telling about the other things she'd done to him before he'd decided in desperation to open his bond with his Master. "It was the only thing I could think of."

"It was a creative solution to a sticky situation, young Skywalker," the suit said.

"She tried the mental assault again, then, and I pushed back with my mind this time, and something slipped."

"Slipped?"

"I got past her shields, into her mind. I saw everything she'd been through. I think that what happened was two-way, she got as deeply inside my head as I got into hers."

"You described this to Luke as similar to your training bond, did you not?"

"Yes, it's like that, but different. I'm not sure how to define the bond that I have with her."

"Has she tried to break it?"

He shook his head. "Never."

"That is the point at which she has permitted you to have power over her."

"What do you mean?"

"By choosing to care about someone outside herself, she has effectively taken the first steps away from the power of the Dark Side. It may be something as small as not killing you when she sees you, or it may be more than that. Does she admit to her internal conflict?"

"I haven't asked."

"Hmm, what was it that you said to me, Luke, the last time we fought?"

"Huh? Oh, right. I think it went 'Your thoughts betray you. I feel the good in you...the conflict.'"

Their father picked up the train of the story again, "I denied the conflict, then Luke said, 'You couldn't bring yourself to kill me before, and I don't believe you'll destroy me now.' And he was right, I could not."

"We both suffered greatly before he decided to give up the darkness." Luke told Cedric. Luke felt his father make the decision, to tell Cedric everything. He was strong enough, that if he were armed with love and knowledge, he wouldn't fall, and stubborn enough that he wouldn't give up.

"Are you sure that you want to keep trying to save her? It will be a very painful journey for both of you," the suit asked him, then walked over to where it was usually stored, getting up on its pedestal.

"I can't not do it, no matter how painful," he said with all the intensity of a Skywalker.

"Then I will help you," Anakin said, coming out of the dark recess that he'd been hiding in, and turning the suit off.


	14. Spitfire

* * *

Chapter 13

The confusion and anger apparent on Cedric's face, he turned to Luke, and said, "I trusted you! Why did you go tell Dad?"

"First, little brother, I never promised not to tell anyone. I only promised to be circumspect in who I told. I told Dad because Dad is the person that I brought back from the dark side." He said to Cedric.

"Am I in trouble?" Cedric asked, having been completely confused by the situation.

"No, of course not, son. I wish you had come to your mother and me or even Luke of your own volition, but from what you and Luke have told me, what happened was NOT your fault," Anakin said, taking the boy into a hug, "We love you son and we want to help you in any way you need help."

Tears sprang to Cedric's eyes as he hugged his father, "I'm scared, Dad. I care so deeply for her, but she's a murderer. Does that make me a bad person?" Cedric said, acting for the first time since the whole affair started like the thirteen-year-old boy that he was.

"Not at all, little brother. It makes you among the best of us," Luke said, ruffling the boy's hair. Cedric was already nearly as tall as Luke, and stood a good chance of avoiding the short genes that Luke had inherited from Padmé.

Cedric sniffed, his tears coming to an end as his curiosity took over, "Ok, so do I get to hear the rest of the story? 'Cause you left a lot out and none of it made any sense."

"Yes, I think you need to hear the whole story. Much of what you are about to hear never happened, though," Anakin said.

"Huh?"

"Trust me, Cedric, we lived it and hardly believe it. That suit is proof though that we aren't crazy," Luke said.

"You remember how I met your mother?" Anakin asked.

"Yeah, she was stranded on Tatooine after fleeing the Trade Federation's blockade of Naboo, and that was when you lost your arm."

"That's right, but I didn't lose my arm the first time around," Anakin started and told him the story of how Qui-Gon died at the hands of Darth Maul, how Obi-Wan killed him, how years later Padmé's life was in danger, and how the Jedi didn't allow marriage and he had to marry her in secret, how he fell to the dark side and that Luke and Leia were separated at birth, between Luke and Anakin they filled Cedric in on all the events, including their time in the past. Cedric sat still for a while after they had finished, too stunned to speak.

"The suit is what you had to wear because…" Cedric couldn't bring himself to mention the events of Mustafar. The notion of Obi-Wan and his father fighting was just too alien a concept for him to wrap his mind around. The whole story was a lot to take in.

"If you want evidence, it can be provided." Anakin said. "But you won't like what you see."

Cedric didn't know what to make of his father's offer. "I don't think I want to. Hearing about it is bad enough, I don't think I need to add another Sith's memories to my repertoire of nightmare material."

"Are you having nightmares often?" his father sounded concerned.

"Not so much anymore, but when I first got back from Berma Pleaix, I was. Well, maybe not so much nightmares, as intense dreams that would slip my shields. One night of waking Jaz up with them was enough for me."

It seemed to take his father a while to process that bit of information. "That's why you spend the night at Shaak Ti's so much?"

Cedric nodded.

"Jasmine's almost too sensitive for her own good, is the problem. I doubt moving halfway across the Temple alleviated the problem," Luke told them.

"She's not…" their father started, "She is. I remember she was waking up almost every night for a while with nightmares. I started to get annoyed with her about it. I think I owe her an apology."

Cedric looked down guiltily. "So do I. I had no idea."

"No one did, Cedric," Luke said. "I only just recently discovered this fact myself, and that's why I took her on as my Padawan. I think she's had trouble expressing to anyone the depth of her feelings, and now, since she pretty much gets my undivided attention, she's finally opening up about what's going on with her. I think I need to teach her to shield better."

"I think someone else needs to learn to shield better, too," their father said with a pointed look at Cedric. "Fortunately, I know how to dream-shield."

"Yes, sir," he said, "I agree."

* * *

Jasmine finished packing her case, and they were ready to go, but Luke didn't want to go, not until the next day, something about an encounter with Jaedrea. He hadn't talked about it with her, but whatever was going on with Jae was defiantly on the not-good side. She finished her morning meditation, and curled up on the sofa beside Luke. "What's wrong with Jae?"

"She's having a problem accepting what's going on, Padawan. I think she's jealous because you're everybody's new star, instead of being the little wallflower that she's expecting you to be."

"I'm still that, Master. I don't want the attention that I'm getting. Why can't she see that?"

"I don't know, Padawan. I understand Julia, I would understand if she were still frustrated because Master Tiin still hasn't taken her on, and I believe that she is, but it's fueling her desire to improve so that he'll be less reluctant. She would be his first Padawan, and he's been on the Council since before I came to the Temple."

"You mean when you beat the bad Sith man, the really bad one?"

"Yes, then. I didn't really sleep well last night, Padawan."

"I know, Master. Jae worries me, too."

"You looked hurt when you left Obi-Wan's classroom yesterday."

"Jae was looking at me like I was about to drown baby Tookes or something."

"Oh, I didn't catch that. I figured you were upset because I ordered you out."

"I knew something was up with Jae, I didn't need to be there while you talked to her Master about how bad she was being."

He ruffled her hair. "My pragmatic Padawan. How did I get so lucky?"

She shrugged. "I have to go to class today don't I?"

"Yes, Padawan. Just Political Strategy and Lightsaber. How did you do in Lightsaber class yesterday?"

"Master Windu spent some time correcting my forms since I was so early. I had one battle, with one of the Senior Padawans. He's scary big. I didn't want to disappoint you, so I tried really hard."

"Very good, Padawan. You must approach each battle with the will to win."

"He didn't take me serious though. I had him on the floor in under a minute. I was disappointed that he didn't trust Master Windu's judgment in putting me in that class."

"Did you get any harassment from the other students?"

"Not really. After they saw that, I don't think they wanted to cross my blade."

"Are you sure that he wasn't taking you seriously? I wouldn't be surprised to find you able to put someone on the floor that quickly anyway."

"I could feel it, Master."

"Ah. Did you have fun in Lightsaber class?"

"I think so. Did you get up early this morning?"

"Yes, I took Cedric to talk to Dad."

"Is he fixed now?"

"I doubt it, but he knows that he can go to Dad about this, and not get into trouble. He finally told us everything that's been going on; I'm not surprised that he's all messed up inside from what she did to him."

"He's going to get better?"

"It'll take some time, but yes, I think we can 'fix' Cedric for you."

"That's good, Master."

"Which reminds me, I need to teach you to shield better. You should be permitted to be alone inside your own head if you want to be."

"Now, Master?"

"No, we can do it on the way to Bothawui."

"Let's go, it's time for breakfast, before Daddy and Cedric eat it all," she said, pulling him off the sofa.

* * *

Obi-Wan felt Jaedrea wake up. It was nearly lunchtime, but she'd exhausted herself the day before throwing her temper tantrum. He checked to see that she was still under the effects of the Force cage that Luke had tied to her. If she didn't fuel it for a day or two, it would dissipate. It was time to scare the Force out of the girl. If that didn't help, he wouldn't know what to do. Today had gone relatively smoothly, Jasmine had answered a couple of questions in class, and had even gone so far as to raise her hand once. He was very proud of the progress she was making under Luke's influence.

He opened his bond with Anakin, who was talking with Padmé before they ate lunch, and he was enjoying himself immensely. _I dislike interrupting you, my former Padawan, but if we are going to do this, Jae is waking up now, so it needs to be soon._

_Padmé knows, she's not happy about it, but she knows. I told her what we found out about Cedric._

_Is she doing ok with all this darkness around her?_

_My wife is a very strong person. It will take more than a Sith Lord tempting her child to make her not ok._

_What about Jae?_

_She's had her own temptations, Obi-Wan. She knows no one is immune to the influence of the dark side._

_I didn't know about that. _

_I didn't either, until yesterday. Luke helped her through that particular day. He reminded her of it, and I think that's the first time that it really sank in to her that her baby wasn't hers anymore._

_She's in denial?_

_To an extent. I think it's just that she's not got anything to look at, physically, that says that we are different. It's more that she forgets._

_And she can't look at your Force Signature, to see how much it's changed, the way I can._

_Right. I'm on my way out._

_I'll meet you in the room._

_Good._

Obi-Wan looked up slightly to find that his feet had taken him nearly to his quarters. He sighed, preparing for his confrontation with Jae.

Jaedrea, surprisingly, was up and about under her own power. "How are you feeling this morning, Padawan?"

"I feel all mushy inside, Master. Like I've been really sick." The fact that she was feeling that particular sensation didn't make him happy, but it was a relief. She wasn't so far gone with her brush with the dark side.

"Well, come along. We have an appointment to keep."

"What kind of appointment?" she asked with a mix of curiosity and fear, her cage tightening back around her.

"Control your fear Padawan, and you can walk there. It's just one person, we aren't going before the Council." She did as she was told, surprisingly. Curiosity was a great motivator for the young Skywalker.

"Yes, Master," she answered as she trailed behind him.

_I hope this works, for your sake, Padawan. _He thought to himself. They went down, past the Room of a Thousand Fountains; further than he'd ever had to chase Anakin, even. It was dark, the artificial lights only dimly glowing, if even at all. It took his senses to the utmost to even get around. The outer walls had what used to be beautiful windows, but sunlight didn't reach this far down in Coruscant's superstructure anymore.

"Master, why are we down here?" she asked, carefully controlling the fear he felt coming so easily for her.

"To show you your future."

Jaedrea's confusion was clear to him, but he didn't answer her unspoken questions. She would understand soon enough, or if she didn't they were in serious trouble. They soon reach the entrance to the old council chambers, which hadn't been used in a thousand years.

"You must continue on your own, Padawan."

He felt Jaedrea steel herself, controlling her fear, but he still felt the resentment toward her youngest sister.

Jaedrea continued on past the old-fashioned door. He then felt her fear spike.

* * *

Jaedrea didn't understand what the point of coming down to this ancient place. Maybe her Master wanted to show her where he used to play as a boy. He told her to go on by herself and she did so. She crossed the threshold of the room and heard _voorsh-pooh voorsh-pooh _over and over. It was a creepy sound and the only thing she wanted to do was get away from it. It sounded like impending doom, then she saw a dark figure, there were lights on his chest and he was TALL easily as tall as her Father.

"The Force is with you, young Skywalker, but you are not a Jedi yet," the figure said. Its voice was a deep bass that cut to her soul. It was frightening. She tried to flee, but her legs weren't moving.

"W-w-who are you?" she asked, her eyes adjusting to the gloom of the room, examining the figure in detail. There was even a lightsaber hanging from his belt. Maybe he was some weird sort of Jedi.

"My name is Darth Vader."

"A SITH! Master! Help!" she screamed, but her wails died as she heard the old-fashioned door close behind her.

"Obi-Wan can not help you now, Skywalker. The dark side has chosen you, as you've chosen it. Only you can save yourself from your fate."

"I haven't chosen the dark side!" she pleaded, anger at the thought flaring inside her.

"Your feelings betray you. I sense great anger in you, also great fear. It is only a matter of time before they become hate, and then you will belong to the dark side."

"What happens if that is my fate?"

"You will lose everything you have ever loved, your friends, your family. Indeed that is only the first thing that will happen. It gets worse from there, as the dark side demands greater acts of depravity from you."

"I don't believe you; I'm in control."

The figure laughed, a harsh sound that sent chills of fear down her spine. "Your arrogance amuses me, Skywalker. The dark side will have its servant soon with such displays of pride and arrogance."

"How do you know?"

"I was just as arrogant, before the dark side claimed me, and my soul was just as lost. I craved things; recognition of my abilities was the first thing, then power, and prestige. I was the best in my class, the fastest, and strongest. No one could beat me, at first, just in my age group, then later, when I was about fifteen, there was not a Padawan in the Temple who could beat me."

Jae felt her eyes go wide. "You were a Jedi?"

"I was once, twenty years ago. I was nineteen or twenty when there remained only five Masters in the Order who could still beat me."

"Who?"

The figure struck a contemplative pose, deliberately, Jae thought. "Master Yoda, Master Windu, Master Kenobi, and a couple of others. I eventually bested the others in combat."

"Master Kenobi beat you in combat?"

"Well, of course. He's really quite handy with a blade when he needs to be. When employed effectively, the Soresu is actually a quite devastating technique."

"It takes too long," she said dismissively.

"It takes the time that it takes. Having been on the receiving end of that technique more times than I care to count, I can say with certainty that there were none better at the Soresu than Obi-Wan Kenobi twenty years ago, and I doubt that has changed in the years since."

"But it is only defense, how could you possibly win if that's all you do?"

"You must understand the philosophy behind the Soresu. Ask Obi-Wan, he would teach it to you, as he tried to teach me. I wouldn't listen. If you do not want my fate to be yours, I suggest that you throw yourself into things that do not bring out your pride and arrogance."

She sensed out from herself; something that came easily for Jasmine, the one area that Jae would admit that her sister was better than she was. Obi-Wan had finally drilled into her _how_ to do it, but it took so much of her time that she wouldn't bother unless there was no other way. She felt the person behind the mask, a man of many scars and battles fought. She sensed his patience. He could wait a great deal of time for her to make her decision. In the end, she would fall. "NO!!" she screamed in vehement denial, "I'll never join the Sith!"

"You seem quite sure of that, young Skywalker, but I can feel your doubts. I will leave you to your thoughts, as they are quite becoming of a Sith; when next I see you, doubtless you will have sought me out. Who knows, maybe you will see me inside your heart. That will be the time that you are truly a child of the dark side."

Jae knew what she had to do then, and calmed herself sufficiently to release the cage around her, she took up her lightsaber, and struck at the large black figure, but she was blocked with a blood red blade. "Striking me down will not make my words untrue, Skywalker," he said, parrying several slashes, but permitting her to crash her blade into his right arm.

"You've got a fake arm, like Daddy does."

"All of my limbs have been replaced by cybernetics, young one. The price of my arrogance was my vitality."

"What will be the price of mine?" she asked, having backed off with confusion.

"I do not know the answer to that, Skywalker. I do not readily see the future, but if you continue down this path toward the dark side, everything that you have or do love will die," he said, stepping back as she touched the dark side, her own anger and fear pinning herself to the place she was at that moment. "The next time that I see you, it will not be a pleasant experience."

"And this has been?" she shot back to the unhelpful Sith.

"Oh, yes. This has been an incredibly pleasant visit. I have yet to hurt you, and that could be oh, so easily accomplished, since the Jedi have tied you up and put a bow on you the way that they have," Vader said, a gloved finger tracing her jaw line, making her shiver violently. Fear shot through her as she considered the ramifications of what this Darth Vader had said.

"Are you going to kill me?"

"Why would I? We will be on the same side soon enough."

"NO!" Tears sprang to her eyes as she closed them tightly, praying for him to leave. She didn't see the dark figure of Darth Vader retreat, and soon she was aware of Obi-Wan hugging her.

"What did he say?"

"He said I was going to turn to the dark side, Master." She sniffed and held onto him.

"Not if I or your Father have anything to say about it. However, this is something we cannot do for you, but we can help."

"What do I have to do?"

"The hardest thing you've ever had to do, be proud of Jasmine."

Jaedrea then knew that Vader was right, she was doomed; she cried harder.

* * *

Anakin was exhausted. Doing what he did to his daughter was the hardest thing he'd ever had to do. He just hoped it would do the trick and make her let go of her jealousy. He took the suit back to the Sith Artifacts room and headed home. When he got there, a worried Padmé greeted him, and an anxious Luke.

"Well, did it make a difference?" Padmé asked him.

He sadly looked down, not really knowing an answer to her question. "Time will tell."

"You don't sound very confident."

"I've learned the price of overconfidence. She was well and truly scared; whether it will make the difference that we want it to, we will have to see."

"What exactly did you say to her?" Luke asked.

"I was brutally honest," he said with a shrug. "I told her, in terms I think she understood, that she was going down the very same path that I did."

"What's Obi-Wan going to tell her?"

"That Vader isn't real. That the whole thing was a Force Vision."

"Like my experience in the cave on Dagobah?"

Anakin looked at him, puzzled. "I don't know anything about that, Luke."

"Master Yoda sent me inside a cave that the dark side emanated from. He told me that the only things inside the cave were things I took with me, and that I needed to go in. He thought I would be better off not taking my lightsaber, but I didn't listen. I saw Vader in there, and we fought, and I cut off his head, and inside the mask, after I'd decapitated Vader, was my own head. It scared me badly."

"This was before you came to Bespin?"

"Yes."

Anakin nodded. "No wonder you resisted so well."

Luke smiled, "Well you telling me the truth didn't make it easy."

"Enough," Padmé said, shivering in Anakin's arms. "I don't want to hear about how you two tortured each other in a lifetime that never happened."

Luke got a mischievous grin, and said, "Aw, Mom, Dad and I were the best of drinking buddies then, didn't you know that?"

Padmé grabbed a pillow off the sofa and lobbed it at her son, who to his credit let it hit him, while Anakin had a much-needed laugh at the antics of the two of them.

* * *

Leia was happy as they arrived on Kashyyyk, but it was nothing compared to her husband and his co-pilot. She'd never met any Wookiees other than Chewie, so it was going to be interesting. There were about half a dozen adult Wookiees and one child waiting at the platform when they landed.

She'd never seen Han so excited as they finished going through the landing procedure. She smiled to herself, watching him hurry, much as Chewie was doing. She waited by the ramp as the families greeted their two wayward cubs. "Mom, Mom, you're going to crack a rib." She heard Han say to one of the Wookiees who had picked him up in a Wookiee hug. She growled an apology, which didn't really sound sincere to Leia.

She heard a laugh behind her. "Wookiees are certainly exuberant. Shall we get the twins so their introductions can be made?"

"Yes, let's do that," she said, heading back up into the ship with her Master.

They picked up the tiny bundles, bringing them out into the open air of Kashyyyk. "Han," she called out to the oblivious human, and he turned to her. "I didn't realize when I married you that you were part Wookiee."

"Well, I had some rough times as a kid. Mom took care of me. She took a blaster shot for me, and very nearly didn't survive it," he said, becoming serious.

'I would have done the same for Chakk, and you know it, cub,' she said to him.

"I know. I'm sorry that you had to."

'You've done me proud, and now you have cubs of your own, so let's see them,' she said to both of them, and all the Wookiees oohed and aahed over the two human babies.

Leia met the only family that Han had ever known, and he seemed blissfully happy. It made her happy, seeing this side of him, the little brother, and the son. She worried momentarily as Han let Dewlanna and Chakk hold the twins, but they were as gentle as Chewie had ever been.

* * *

Jasmine went to Lightsaber class after going to Political Strategy, and finishing her catch-up work with Obi-Wan. He was deeply worried, though he hid it well. Jae must have done something really horrid. She'd taken a fairly leisurely lunch, spending half her time in the dining room reading the text she was supposed to know well by the next class. _Hopefully we'll be gone sometime tomorrow, but I doubt it will be early enough to get me out of this class, at least._

She shook her head to clear it, her mind still swimming with the complicated and intricate class her Master had said would be a good exercise for her. She resolutely focused on her forms, making the improvements Master Windu had instructed her to. The changes in her stances didn't quite feel natural to her yet, but they did feel more right.

"Alright class, let's divide up. Jasmine Skywalker, Orlin Davnic. Cedric Skywalker, Elysa Moriare," he said, and his voice continued to name off pairings but she paid little attention, as a young man, apparently this Orlin Davnic, approached her.

"Well, littlest Skywalker, you proved yourself to be quite a little spitfire yesterday. I won't be making the same mistake Jace made," Orlin said with a good-natured grin.

"I'm just here to learn, you look like you might have something to teach me, unlike the nerfherder." Orlin laughed, it was a good whole laugh, filled with joy. Jasmine liked his laugh. She decided then and there that she had made her first friend in this class.

"Let's see if you can keep up, Spitfire." Orlin opened up with an easily deflected blow, which Jasmine parried, however it was a feint as Orlin brought a short bladed lightsaber diving to her stomach. It was something she hadn't expected and back-flipped out of the way, kicking the short blade out of his hand. She tried to use the Force to pull the blade to her, but only succeeded in sending it flying across the room where it would've hit Master Windu in the face if not for his lightning reflexes. Orlin charged, intent on bringing his blade down on Jasmine's unprotected back, but she flipped onto her back, propelling herself with the Force; bringing her lightsaber up and caught Orlin right in the groin, as she went between his legs. He howled in pain and doubled over dropping his lightsaber, Jasmine however didn't let up. She kicked him on his back, straddled his chest and put her blade to his neck.

"This would be more fun if you were a little bit older and I didn't hurt so much," Orlin said, his voice an octave higher than normal. Jasmine blushed furiously and returned to her shy self, getting off of him.

"Very good, Miss Skywalker. Class, look at Orlin and take it as a warning. In battle there are no rules. Any strike is fair. Sportsmanship belongs only in sports, not in war."

Jasmine blushed even deeper at the praise Master Windu gave. "Yes, Master Windu," she said in a voice so low that only Orlin heard.

"You might want to speak up if you want to be heard, Spitfire," Orlin said recovering his normal voice.

Jasmine's only response was to deepen her blush.

"You aren't fooling anyone, Spitfire," Orlin said with a grin.

* * *

Cedric was working on his Political Strategy homework, and Jasmine was sitting at the table with him doing the same. He was almost finished, he would have been finished if she hadn't kept asking him questions about what she was reading. It seemed like to him that the class was almost too much for her, but she kept at it, fighting for every bit of understanding that she gained in the subject, fierce determination not to let Luke down when he thought she could do this radiating from her.

He was surprised when Senator Organa came up to the table they were sitting at.

"May I sit?" he asked Cedric, who nodded.

"What can I help you with, Senator?" Cedric asked. Jasmine just looked at the Senator in awe.

"I've talked to your Mother about an idea I've had and I want your input on it."

"What's the idea?"

"You know that the Republic is really made up of a series of laws that can be repealed or altered anytime the Senate is in session."

"Yes, there is a body of core laws that have been in place for millennia that we refer to as the Constitution, but even those laws can be completely changed if the Senate decides to."

"Yes, I'm thinking we need to do away with it in favor of a real Constitution, one that is hard to change and that the Senate can't just alter when ever they want."

"Sounds like a good idea, why are you asking me about it?"

"You are the most politically savvy of all the Jedi, and we'll need Jedi support to make this happen. What I need from you now are some things you'd like to see in such a document."

"You want me to write a draft of this new Constitution?"

"Effectively yes."

"Wow, sound like fun." Jasmine made an interesting noise at that comment.

"So that is a yes?"

"Of course! I'll be happy to do it. I might also squeeze some extra credit out of Obi-Wan for it."

"Well, just don't mention I gave you the idea, we're trying to keep this quiet."

"Of course, Senator, I'll be discrete."

"Good. I'll leave you to your studies then."

"Good bye, Senator."

He got up to leave and Jasmine looked at Cedric. "Extra credit? You've already got a perfect score in class."

"True, but if I'm going to do a good job for the Senator I'll have to spend less time on my normal studies, this coupled with tutoring you is going to cut into my time. I'll have to ask Master Ti if I can accompany you and Luke to Bothawui to help you keep up."

"Thanks, Cedric," her voice was an even mix of genuine gratitude and dread.

"No problem, _Spitfire_."

"Hey!"

"Not my fault, he's your boyfriend."

"He's not my boyfriend! I'm too young!"

"You like him, and he's going to like you too once you stop looking like a beanpole."

Jasmine pouted, but Cedric could tell that she was enjoying the little bit of normalcy from him. He tousled her hair and said, "Get back to work, you're far enough behind as it is."


	15. Sibling Rivalry

**AN: Thank you all for your support of this story. I'm glad you all seem to be liking what's going on.**

* * *

Chapter 14

Jaedrea was sitting in Master Obi-Wan's quarters. She was starting to think that she'd never convince either Obi-Wan or her father that she wasn't in eminent danger of falling to the dark side. She sighed, looking back at the text she was supposed to be reading. Obi-Wan had pulled her out of school until she was, whatever. But that didn't mean she didn't have to do her work. It was actually more work for her than if she'd actually been in school.

Which meant that she was busy all day, except when Master Obi-Wan wanted to talk. Like now, "Jaedrea, I know that you don't think this is a serious matter, but it is."

"I know, Master," she said automatically, paying half of her attention to her reading, which was all she would have been doing anyway, and the other half to Obi-Wan.

"So I was wanting to know from you why you don't think your sister is deserving of the things she's doing."

"She's not that good, Master. She never won a lightsaber battle. She always only displayed the most basic of talents in any of our Force classes, only just enough to pass the class. And there's no way that she could have built that lightsaber." She thought again about what she'd pieced together. Jasmine was the weakest of the Skywalker Clan. Force, even Kennis had a better grasp on the Force than she did. Her father couldn't stand that, so somehow he or he and Luke had built that Lightsaber for her, and he'd talked Luke into taking her on, probably before he'd left for his mission to Korriban, so this had been going on for who knows how long. And then they'd somehow convinced Master Windu to throw the fight, because there was absolutely no way she could have lasted even thirty seconds against him if he were trying.

"My understanding is that she didn't precisely build it."

"I knew it!"

Obi-Wan sighed. "If you would let me finish my sentence, Padawan, you would understand, possibly. She took a rather large crystal and sunk the components inside of it. Even Master Windu isn't certain how she did it. And your father is pacing the walls wanting to know. She promised him she'd build him one he could take apart, after she gets back."

"So she's going to demonstrate?"

"I believe that is the plan. She's going to demonstrate for her father. I don't think she'll want a large audience."

"Figures. It's a scam."

Obi-Wan sighed again, "You know that Jasmine is a very shy child. That hasn't changed."

"Whatever. She never had any problems speaking up and ruining my fun."

"What you call ruining your fun, I believe she would call letting you know the consequences of your actions, so that you could consider them before you actually got into trouble."

"And you're on her side, too! I hate you!"

"Already with the hate, Padawan? Well, I love you, in spite of the pain it causes me." Obi-Wan said, starting to look distant. The closed look she'd never seen on his face before made her feel queasy inside.

"I'm sorry, Master. I didn't mean that," she said contritely.

"Neither did your father," he said as he left. What he said left her confused. So far as she knew, Daddy and Obi-Wan had never fought, not even with words.

* * *

Jasmine did well enough with her Political Strategy class. She found that the more times she read the text that Obi-Wan gave them, the more she understood what they talked about in class the next time. She was going to miss a lot going on this mission. It was the first time that she wondered if she should go, or stay here. But staying here meant staying without Luke, and she definitely didn't want to do that. She headed to Lightsaber class, resolved that she would have to work very hard while she was away.

* * *

Cedric went to his Master. He was actually kind of nervous, because he'd never asked her if he could go away to anywhere without her, except to Grandmother Shmi's. The couple of times he'd gone to Naboo since she'd taken him on as her Padawan, she went along with the family. 

"Cedric, what are you needing? I would have thought you'd be in class."

"Well, Master, I should be, but I need to talk to you."

"Well, I have a few moments free right now."

"Thank you, Master. I figured you did. I've got a couple of things going right now, and I think I need to go with Luke to Bothawui."

"Why do you think that, Padawan?"

"Well, first, Bail Organa asked me to do a special project for him."

"Does that need to be done on Bothawui?"

"Well, no, but if I go, I think I'll have a bit more time on my hands to get it done."

"I could see that being a reasonable assumption. So that's one thing. What is the other?"

"Well, Luke put Jasmine in my Political Strategy class with Obi-Wan, and I'm not sure she would be able to keep up without someone there who understands."

"Should she even be in a class like that?"

"I think she'll do ok, once she gains a little bit more confidence. Besides, she needs someone to spar with. Master Windu tested her into my Lightsaber class."

Master Ti considered it for a little while, then said, "I haven't seen you this excited by something since Obi-Wan announced this class, and I don't remember how long before that. I can't be away from the Council for that long, right now, but if you want to go, I suppose Mara can see to your training."

Cedric flashed her a huge smile. "Thank you, Master. I'm sure she'll agree, but let me go ask her." And he headed off to the family's quarters at a good clip.

* * *

Leia wasn't quite sure where the twins were, but she was sure that they were happy. The two human infants were apparently the most fascinating things to come to the village for the last hundred years. She put them out of her mind, preparing for the exercises that Master Secura wanted her to do. 

"Ok, Padawan. Let's see what damage your recent experiences have done."

"Yes, Master, but I'm afraid it's been quite a bit."

"I'll be the judge of that, Leia'wa."

"Ok, what's first?"

"Search your memories for how we start."

"Ok…" Leia closed her eyes and tried to call up the memories of training; soon they came to her, almost flooding her, considering the number of times that she'd done this.

She then sat down, crossing her legs in a meditative pose and closed her eyes and attempted to meditate. She felt _something_, but she didn't think it was close to what she had been able to achieve before she got back from the past…what was she thinking? She'd NEVER done this. The Leia that Master Secura trained and Han married was gone, replaced by a senator and Rebel leader, a hardened fighter who only learned of her heritage within the past three months. She wasn't a Jedi, she was barely able to touch the Force, much less use it like Luke could. She then felt a sharp rap on her knuckles.

"There is no room in your mind for doubts about this, Leia'wa. You must have confidence in your abilities if you are to touch them again."

"That's the problem, Master. I've never done this, except in phantom memories that flit in and out like ghost flies."

"Yet, you can do it if you aren't thinking about it. The skill is there, and the power…well you are a Skywalker after all."

"Skywalker…that's another thing."

"We've discussed your feelings about your Father already, Padawan. Nothing has changed in your feelings about him."

"No, it's not him, its her, him, her, her, her, and her."

"Your siblings?"

"Yes, they never existed before we got back. I don't know them, yet I have a feeling that I was really close to them. Like Jasmine, but I don't remember a thing about her."

"You were the second one to hold her after your Mother. She grew closer to Luke after she got older, but you have a special bond."

"She must think I'm awful." Leia said, sounding despondent.

"No, she's a perceptive child, and she knows the situation."

"Then there's Liz, lately I feel like she's been hurt by me, but I don't know how or why."

"You used to meet for lunch at least once a week, of all of your younger siblings, she was the one you had the closest bond to. You've not done that since you've been back, that is probably why she's hurt."

"I'm not dealing with this well at all, am I?"

"I cannot judge how well you are dealing with it, as I've never been in such a situation, nor do I expect to."

"Do you know how well Father and Luke are dealing with this?"

"That is a question you will have to ask them."

"Then there's you. I never met you in my life, yet you are the person I look up to the most, with the exception of my Mother."

"I too have been very busy while you've been with child, nothing that has happened between us has been due to your recent transformation."

"Am I going to be a Jedi, Master?"

"That is up to you. The real question you should be asking yourself is whether it is a path you wish to continue pursuing."

"What do you think?"

"I find the path of the Jedi very fulfilling. I expect you would, too. You've always wanted to help people. As a Jedi, you can do that in ways no other profession can."

"It just seems that everyone is expecting this of me."

"Those that know about the change, don't. Stepping away from the life of the Jedi would be a valid choice, should you decide to make it. No one would stop you."

"But you think I should continue on."

"I never said that."

Leia considered what she said. "But, you did. With your heart, you did."

A smile brightened on Aayla's face. "And how would you know that?"

"The same way that I know the twins are fine."

"Leia'wa, that is using the Force."

She considered the flow of information about the people around her, a veritable constant stream, something she'd always heard, she'd just never thought about it. "Is this the Force?" she whispered, as she immersed herself in the sensation of the people around her.

"This is the Living Force, the strongest application of the light side. Very few can even touch it, but it's something all Skywalkers can do."

* * *

Anakin looked at his problem child with eyes that he'd never turned on any of his children. He evaluated her, calculating in his head what it would take to push her off the edge into darkness. It distressed him that it would take so little to do it at this point, but that was hidden, like everything else under the cold, calculating eyes that twenty-three years as a Sith had gifted him with. 

She shifted uncomfortably as his eyes bored into her, seeing into the depths of her soul. "Daddy, I'm sorry I got mad at Luke and Jaz. I haven't had a chance to talk to them, since they've gone," he felt a quickly suppressed flash of anger from her, "to Bothawui, I won't be able to until they get back."

He didn't change his expression. He had no comment for her, since it was quite apparent that she had not corrected the problem.

"Obi-Wan said something to me that I wanted to ask you about, since I was confused by it."

"What is that?" he asked flatly.

She fidgeted some. She wasn't used to this lack of expression from him. "I said something to Obi-Wan I didn't mean."

"And that was?"

"That I hated him," she whispered. He'd only said that once to Obi-Wan. And he'd meant it, at the time. "He said that you didn't mean it either."

"What about that do you not understand?" he asked, inflecting his voice only enough to make it a question.

"I didn't know that you and Obi-Wan ever fought, like angry fought."

"We had our share of disputes. I had to learn to control my temper, as you will."

"Are you mad at me, Daddy?"

"No."

"Are you upset with me?"

"No."

"What's wrong with you, Daddy?"

"You have proven yourself to be fully capable of jealousy and anger, and both of those in measures strong enough that you could easily fall to the dark side. I am worried about you and your future, Jaedrea."

"But I'm not going to fall to the dark side," she said, exasperated with the conversation she'd had no less than four times in the last two days.

"My hope is that you are right, Jaedrea. You are not infallible, no one is. It will take work on your part to ensure that you remain true to the Light."

"What kind of work?"

"You must learn to control your temper, and you must learn that everyone has their own talents, and their own time to shine. You have a great responsibility thrust upon your shoulders, one you've carried since you were born."

"What do you mean, Daddy?"

"You are a Skywalker; every Initiate, Padawan, Knight and Master out there knows that name, and they all have expectations as to what that means. It means being good with a Lightsaber and flying. It means being less than perfect in your control of emotions. Which is why you have to try harder to bring them into harmony."

"All of them expect the same thing?"

"No, but that is generally what someone who doesn't know you will expect out of you when they first meet you. In the wider Jedi Community, Skywalker is nearly synonymous with loose cannon."

"You mean that no one likes us?"

"No, but there are some Jedi who think that assigning a Skywalker to a mission is like giving up. The mission gets accomplished, never has a Skywalker failed to complete their mission, but some think that the collateral damage totals are too high."

"What is collateral damage?"

"Unnecessary or excessive damage done to things that are not the target of one's mission."

"So you kill people that don't need killed?"

Anakin was disturbed by the analogy that his daughter came up with. "That would be considered collateral damage, but in my missions with Obi-Wan I've never killed someone who didn't need to die for the greater good."

"Is there a reason for their opinion?"

"Of course. For a very long time, Obi-Wan and I were the Council's team of last resort. We would only be sent into situations that were already hopelessly lost, and we would straighten things out. We didn't hurt people; they hurt each other. We didn't blow up buildings, assassinate planetary councils, or anything of the sort. Those plots were usually already in progress by the time we were assigned to a mission, indeed we stopped a fair number of them, but not enough to spare us the reputation."

Jaedrea started fidgeting again. He sensed a question in her mind, one that would maybe answer some of his questions. He waited for her to ask, hoping he was right, that this would be the root of the problem. It took her a long time to build up the courage to ask in the face of his impassiveness. "Do you love Jasmine more than you love me?"

Anakin evaluated the question, it wasn't asked in idle curiosity, she really believed that he did, and wanted conformation one way or the other. "I love her in a different way than I love you, but no, I don't love her 'more' than I love you."

She didn't believe him, but he really hadn't expected her to. "What do you mean that you love her different?"

"I love Jasmine for her quiet ways. I can't love you for that."

"What do you love me for?"

"I love you because I can see so much of myself in you."

"You don't see yourself in Jasmine?"

"No, I don't. Every once in a while, I do, but for the most part, she's not like the rest of us."

This almost seemed a conformation to her that Jaz was different. "Is that why you did it?"

"Did what?" he asked, not knowing what she was talking about. It was some conclusion that she'd come to that he feared was erroneous.

"Asked Luke to take her on as his Padawan," she whispered.

"I had nothing to do with that decision. I wasn't even at the Council the day that he brought forth the idea."

"Then why did he do it? She's not any good at anything."

"He did it because he knew that she was not living up to her potential, and he can push her, probably harder, _because_ he's her brother. He doesn't have to try to work around her shyness, because she's never had it around him. It's an unusual situation, but one that works to both of their advantage. Luke needs her as much as she needs him."

That seemed to confuse Jae. She'd never thought about Luke needing Jasmine. "Why would he need her?"

"He needs someone to help ground him back into reality. He spent a long time fighting the Sith; he's still not right with himself yet, but being around Jasmine is accomplishing that faster than if he were to have to do it without her."

"Why did she get into any of Master Windu's classes?"

"Luke asked for him to test her. She handled herself well, and Master Windu, I think, could see what Luke had been telling him. She's in a class where Cedric is the next youngest student. She's small enough that even a class of new Padawans she'd be able to be overpowered by the bigger students. She's probably always going to be small, and she needs to learn to use that to her advantage. She will be easily overpowered, and could even get hurt if she doesn't do her best in that class. Doing her best is the only way that she'll survive that class without getting hurt. Luke and Mace both have confidence that she can do well, once she becomes comfortable."

"That doesn't make sense, Daddy."

"Yes it does. You just don't see that she has any talent, which is not true. She's not happy about the classes that Luke's putting her in."

"Why not? What could possibly be wrong with her classes?"

"She's in Political Strategy, and the third most advanced Lightsaber Dueling Class. She doesn't feel confident that she's going to be able to do either of those classes well."

"What about her other classes?"

"Luke will get her enrolled when they get back."

"She's not going to have homework while she's gone?!?" Jae screeched.

"I think the Political Strategy homework will be sufficient to keep her busy all the time she's away, she got enrolled late, you realize that don't you, and has quite a bit of catching up to do."

"But hasn't she been out of school since she got taken as a Padawan?"

"Yes, she has. Luke will have her back in school when they get back. I don't really blame him for not wanting to deal with homework for Jasmine while they are traipsing about the Galaxy."

"Why can't I go traipsing about the Galaxy instead of her?"

"If you wanted to be assigned to missions early on, you should have picked a different Master. You asked Obi-Wan to take you, remember?"

"Yes," she said sullenly.

"You will have your share of missions, don't worry about that. I doubt Luke will want to be gone too much, especially after Ardrya is born."

"She's already got a name?"

"So I've been told. Your mother has yet to decide on proper names for your brother and sister."

"Aren't you going to help?"

"I've done all the suggesting that I'm going to. She will decide, probably after they are born. It's Nubian tradition for the Mother to name the children at any rate. Luke and Leia were the only ones she knew what she was going to name them before they were here."

"Where did Leia come up with the names for her twins?"

"Friends of your mother's and mine," he answered, his mask cracking finally.

"Really?"

"Kitster Banai was my best friend when I was a little boy. Sabé, well, she was very special to your mother."

* * *

Luke made sure everyone was strapped in tightly as he did one final check as they took off for Bothawui. He hadn't flown this craft before, and at the same time it was the craft he knew most intimately. He ignored the strange dichotomy, as he'd learned to over the last two months. He had Cedric co-piloting, for three reasons. First, Mara was starting to show, and it was affecting her speed, not very much, but enough that he could tell, and she wasn't born into the pilot seat, not that many people were, but she didn't mind not being in control of the craft she was in. Second, Cedric could use both the distraction and the experience. Third, he wanted Jasmine to see Cedric doing it, because she'd never seen his younger brother in the pilot seat. He liked to fly, but it wasn't the obsession that Julia had inherited. 

He'd inherited a measure of that passion as well, but he could enjoy _not_ being in the pilot's seat as well, which neither his father nor Julia could. "Ready?" he asked Cedric.

Cedric smiled, doing the pre-flight checks, and answered, "I'm ready, everybody's strapped in, and the ship's ready. What about you, Luke?"

"I'm ready," he said, the odd sensations of newness to his memories of the ship settling and fading in the face of flying her. He settled his hands on the controls, worn smooth to a very comfortable grip by long hours in his hands.

They took off, headed for their exit trajectory. _It's not an X-wing, but this will do,_ he thought as they exited the planet's pull, and transitioned into hyperspace.

* * *

Padmé was looking over another bill; this one wasn't one she wanted to see made into a law. She looked up as Jaedrea came in from the living room into the dining room. She looked over her very young daughter, who was learning a very hard lesson right at the moment, and stubbornly trying to refuse the wisdom being imparted to her by those around her. 

Jae was in a huff; apparently the talk she'd been having with Anakin hadn't gone well. "What's wrong, Jae?"

"Daddy."

"I doubt there's anything wrong with your father, or at least not anything new."

"He's still talking about me falling to the dark side. I'm not going to fall to the dark side. Obi-Wan took me out of school because of this, and now all my friends are looking at me like I've grown a second head. I'm not even allowed to go to my stupid lightsaber forms class."

"I see. Well, Jaedrea, what exactly have Obi-Wan and Ani said to you?"

"It's not what they've said, it's what they've done, and are doing."

"What is it that you are worried about, Jae?"

"Jasmine."

"Your sister seems to be doing quite well under Luke's tutelage."

"But that's just it. She's not that good."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because she never ever was any good. She only ever barely passed all of our Initiate classes. And now she's in one of Master Windu's more advanced Lightsaber Dueling Classes. It's not fair."

"Jaedrea, have you ever known Master Windu to risk the safety of a Padawan who couldn't handle that sort of class?"

She was silent as she thought the question through. "No," she admitted finally.

"So doesn't it make sense that she is ready for that class?"

"Well, Daddy and Obi-Wan must have talked Master Windu into it."

"Why would they do that? If Jasmine isn't ready for that class, she could be hurt, and you know how protective your father is of all of you."

"Yes, but Daddy can't take it that she's not as skilled as the rest of us. He talked Luke into taking her as his Padawan, because no other Master was going to."

"I think that your father would be proud of Jasmine, even if she never became a Jedi. He had a lot of trouble accepting it when Leia wasn't accepted as a Padawan until she was twelve. But that was her time, and it wasn't something he could push her into, and he knew it even then."

Jae's eyes got wide. "Leia didn't get taken as a Padawan until she was twelve?"

"I thought that you knew that. She wasn't ready for that step at all, so she didn't take it until she was ready. If she'd wanted, she could have come learned politics with me instead, but she eventually decided that she did want to be a Jedi. If your father could handle that, I think he could handle Jasmine not being a Jedi as well."

"But all of us are so much better than she is."

"Just because she hasn't shown you her talents, doesn't mean that she doesn't have them. You do have a tendency to outshine her, just by your nature."

"I outshine her because she's not any good at using the Force. If she had any talent in the Force whatsoever, she would have shown it by now. So Daddy asked Luke to take her on, and somehow talked Master Windu into letting her into that advanced class, and gave her that special Lightsaber. It probably makes up for her lack of Force powers somehow."

"Have you considered that she just doesn't care about attention like you do?"

"I don't care about attention! This is about what's fair. And THIS ISN'T!" Jaedrea screamed.

Padmé for the first time knew that Obi-Wan and Anakin were right, if anything, they were being too optimistic. "Sweetheart, let's go sit on the couch. I have something very important to tell you."

They went into the living room and sat on the couch, Padmé taking her disturbed daughter into her arms letting Jae sit on her lap.

"You know how I met your Father, right?"

"Yeah, you met on Tatooine during the Invasion of Naboo."

"Yes, however he wasn't the only one I met. Your brother and sister were there too."

Jaedrea gave her Mother a look of complete disbelief. The look got more intense as Padmé related the story of her own brush with the dark side, how she was convinced that Anakin was going to do something horrible to her and how she had to stop it. She also told how Luke talked her out of it. She also related, as best as she could, what Luke had told her about the nature of the dark side and how no one is immune to its siren's call. Jaedrea looked at her with increasing shock with every new revelation. When Padmé finished the story, Jaedrea was silent for a few minutes, then she exploded, "YOU'RE IN ON IT! I've TOLD better lies than that! What is it about her that everyone wants to coddle her!"

Padmé was shocked at her daughter's reaction to the story. She wasn't ready when Jae bolted from her lap wailing, hot, angry tears spilling freely down her face and she was out of the apartment before Padmé could say anything more. Padmé's own tears were quiet, but no less intense.


	16. Connections

**AN:Egads. This is a short one, sorry. That of course means you get it today instead of in a couple more days. I again have been laying the coming story out, and it gets interesting. Dark, but interesting.**

**Teresa:Jae's going to be ok. Eventually after lots more story, but she will. Maybe. I think. Well, as ok as she ever is. **

**SidiousSith: You are ranting at Jae...Yay. I'm doing a good job!**

**Elizabeth:Your idea intrigues me...**

**KSkywalker1:Julia, as requested.**

**  
**

* * *

Chapter 15

Padmé went into her bedroom, finding Anakin there, and she cried for a long time in his arms. "Are we going to lose her?" she asked finally.

"No," he promised her. "But it won't be an easy fight."

"She's not acting rationally."

"I know. Maybe we should consider what Obi-Wan was saying."

"Her moving in with them?"

"Dak-Tin is finally getting ready to move into his own quarters anyway, so it's not going to cause any problems there, and without her siblings around, maybe she'll calm down a little."

"It will just be her and Fin, Siri and Obi-Wan. I don't see that it would hurt to give it a shot."

"And Fel-Gin's gone more than he's home, especially since he was just Knighted."

"That's true." She sighed. "I don't know how she'll take it, though, in the state she's in."

"I heard the two of you talking. I'm sorry that she didn't believe you. I know it's hard for you to talk about what's happened to you on Tatooine."

"Not half as hard as it is to see her hurting."

"Let's go talk to Obi-Wan," Anakin said, then closed his eyes in concentration. "That's where she went, anyway."

* * *

Luke sat down in the lounge of their small ship, where Cedric was working on something, while Jasmine was ostensibly doing her Political Strategy homework, but it sounded more to him like she was pestering her brother with questions about everything but. "Why did Bothawui go to a representative democracy?" 

Cedric didn't look up, but asked, "Depends, what did they go from?"

Jasmine consulted the information that she was referencing. "Constitutional hereditary monarchy."

"Did all the heirs die out? That's almost a sideways step."

She scoured the information that she had, "King Esber I-I-I died without having any children."

"That's King Esber the Third. There's your answer."

"Oh. Was it because it was too much trouble to find someone who belonged to the royal family? Or because it was too hard to decide how much claim the people that they found had to the throne?"

"I imagine the later. Once you get into third and fourth cousins in a situation like that, it's easier to give up, sometimes."

"So they started electing their leaders because it was easier?"

"Not leaders, just the figurehead. Their legislative body, which they call the Council of Voices, was probably already elected."

She searched for the term. "Well, it says here its called The House of Commons."

"That is just one of the Houses, they have a tricameral legislature. The House of Commons is the lowest house, its always been elected by the people directly since it was first formed. They then have the House of Merchants, they used to be appointed by provincial governors, but now they are elected by the populace, however they have lifetime appointments. The House of Lords are now a minor part of the government, however by tradition they are the upper house and have lifetime appointments, however those seats are inherited."

"Are you going to do your homework, or just pester your brother, Padawan?" Luke asked finally.

"I'm not bothering him. And it's kinda related."

"I don't mind, Luke. The Spitfire is really the reason I'm here anyway."

"Cedric!!!" Jasmine screeched, blushing furiously.

"Spitfire?" Luke asked, raising his eyebrow as Mara started chuckling from the doorway.

"Just something that her boyfriend calls her," Cedric said dismissively.

"Boyfriend?" Mara asked as Jasmine turned three shades darker than Admiral Akbar.

"Orlin Davnic. She racked him in a sensitive spot, and it was love at first rack. It's not very romantic, but what Skywalker is?" Cedric said, as Jasmine slid under the table.

"Oh, so she's taking after me then?" Mara asked, and Luke shot her a dirty look as he recalled what she was referring to.

"Oh, really? How did that go? This ought to be entertaining," Cedric asked as he set his datapad down, and crossed his arms.

Not liking the direction things were going, Luke said, "Well, Padawan, let's let these two have their fun. I was wanting to start on your shielding lessons, if you don't mind, but you'll have to come out from under the table first."

Jasmine scrambled out from beneath the small table, and was out the door like a shot, Luke only a step behind her.

* * *

Anakin had been over and over the letter that Lando had sent. He was fairly sure that Han had received it as well. He'd included alternate numbers to send this to, both so he could receive it, and so Anakin could get a copy while he was away. It had been short and to the point. The Council had agreed with his assessment of the thing. A battalion of droids, and probably Immolious. He didn't like that she was there right now, but it was better than her being on Coruscant, where she would no doubt be trying some tricks on his younger son, who, of course, wasn't even on Coruscant at that moment. It would be useless to try to get more information out of Lando; he was being watched in all likelihood, and more inquiries would look more suspicious than they could afford. 

Anakin set aside thoughts of the upcoming trip to Bespin; he wasn't prepared to go without Luke and Leia, so it would be a little bit before that became a necessary topic. Then there was the mysterious tremor that he felt through the Force a month ago. It was way too familiar to him, if faint from the distance. Someone had built a Death Star. That was really the only explanation, but he didn't have any proof. Only half of the Council felt it, or had felt it _properly._ Luke had felt it, most Masters as well, but knowing the significance of it, that was another story. He sighed and wondered what hapless world it had been tested on. His life was so much better than it had been mere months before, but it still had its problems. Only this time he wasn't the one causing them. He'd still be one who'd have to clean up the mess. He felt something big was about to happen, much bigger than this version of reality had ever seen. Big like the Clone Wars, only worse, or maybe better. He just didn't know. He could just feel the galaxy starting to tear itself apart and the suffering that would come from it.

He hoped it was just his imagination; he really didn't want his children to go through something so terrible. He knew they'd be in the thick of it if it came to pass. He just wondered if there was anyway to stop it.

* * *

Jaz's face finally started to cool down when she reached her cabin. As embarrassing as it was for Cedric to tease her about Orlin, it was worth it to see him acting like himself for a change. Luke came in after her and she sat on her bed. 

"Ok, so how do I shield?" She asked, getting to business, not really wanting to answer twenty questions about her non-boyfriend. _Ok, so maybe in a weird way he is a little bit cute, but he's still a BOY! Ewww. He probably keeps who knows what slimy creature in his pocket. That's what boys do._

"Jasmine, yoohoo," Luke said, waving his hand in front of her face.

"Huh? I was just waiting on you to start, Master."

"I did, five minutes ago," Luke said, patiently.

"Sorry," Jasmine said, and blushed.

"Thinking about what Cedric said?" Luke asked.

"No, not that. Never that, nope, I don't think about Orlin. Not ever."

"Not ever, huh?" Luke said, a ghost of a smile creeping onto his face.

"Nope, not me. Boys are gross," Jasmine said with as much conviction as she ever said anything.

"Oh, ok. I see."

"Besides, he's like way older than me. He's FOURTEEN. He's practically as old as Daddy!"

"Gee, Little Bit. That makes me feel just great," Luke responded, the glint still in his eyes.

"He's way too old for me," she reiterated.

"So, what, Mom is too old for Dad?"

"What do you mean?" Jasmine asked, suspiciously.

"Oh, just that they met when he was nine and she was fourteen."

"Nope, I don't believe you."

"I was there, remember."

"I'm doomed," Jasmine said and threw her head back on the pillow in mock drama.

"Ok, at least you admit it. We still need to teach you how to shield. You are incredibly vulnerable until you learn this."

"Ok, Master."

"Now, no distractions."

"Yes, Master." They then started to work on her shielding.

* * *

Jaedrea settled in at the dining room table for another day of staying home from school because she wasn't 'right with herself' yet, whatever that meant. Her parents walked into the room. _Great, another talk._ "What now?" she asked, sighing. 

Her mother ignored the confrontational attitude. "We thought that you might need a break from all this extra stuff that's going on right now. Since Dak-Tin is moving out of Obi-Wan's, he thought you might like to stay with him, where it's quieter, so you can focus more on your studies while you adjust to everything. We haven't been very supportive of you while you've had all these changes in your life. Two nieces and a nephew, a new little brother and sister, becoming a Padawan, and your sister doing the same, and Julia will be here shortly. That's a lot for anyone to try to adjust to."

Jaedrea considered it. There was a catch in there, certainly, but not being at home had its appeal, too. "I'll think about it," she said finally.

"That's fine. It's not permanent, unless you and Obi-Wan decide that it would be better for you," her father said.

"Ok. I said I'd think about it," she said, going back to her studies. She spent nearly an hour at it before she was interrupted again.

"Hi," Julia said, seeming a little nervous.

"Not you, too," Jae said, aggravated by her sister's slightly off attitude.

"Not me, too, what, Jae? You've been scary weird the last week."

"I have not."

"Why else do you think Uncle Obi-Wan pulled you out of school? Luke's wasn't the only complaint he got against you."

Shocked, Jae sat back for a minute, letting that sink in. "Who else?"

"I don't know. I just know that it wasn't the first complaint he'd gotten about your behavior."

"I can't do anything."

"It's your own fault. You could be nicer to Jaz. She's not done anything to you."

"I don't want to talk about Jasmine, everybody's new pet Skywalker."

"Alright. I asked Uncle Obi-Wan about going out flying with you, and he wouldn't hear of it. I know you're going stir-crazy cooped up here in the house."

"Why aren't you mad about Jaz getting picked before you?"

"I thought you didn't want to talk about her."

"We aren't talking about her; we're talking about your feelings."

Julia shrugged. "Jaz was worried about that. Luke and I talked about it for a while, before the rest of the family knew. It's not Jaz's fault, or mine. It's Master Tiin dragging his feet about it. He's practically my Master in all but name now as it is. I just have to drag him down that last step."

"And you're ok with it?"

"It's not a bad thing for her to have a Master, even if it is Luke. She's always looked up to Luke. I seriously think she hero-worships him more than she does Daddy."

"How do you know that?"

"I talk to her. You might try it sometime."

"She's such a mouse, though."

"It's partly your fault that she's that way. You've always reinforced that in her. She let you, but still."

"So her shyness is my fault?"

"No, she just is. The fact that she's so incredibly shy is your fault. She could slip into your shadow, and no one would notice her, at least until she had to take some sort of evaluation."

"Why didn't you do that, too?"

"I'm not Jaz. I got Daddy's flying genes. She doesn't have any particular place that she feels comfortable like I do."

"I got Daddy's flying genes, too," Jae added petulantly.

"Sorry, sis. You can fly, don't get me wrong, but you aren't in the same class as I am."

"Am so."

"Are not."

"Am so."

"When you can fly as well as I can, I'll be covered in feathers. You're good, Jae, but you're good at other things, too. Better than me. Lightsaber, for instance."

"That's just because you don't care so much about it."

"Well?"

"I've got to finish this before dinner, Master wants it to turn in tomorrow."

* * *

Lando looked over the inventory list. He sighed, as the _inventory_ seemed to include mostly Tann's illegal shipments. He wasn't in a position to protest. He personally oversaw the unloading of the shipment, and sent what little was staying on Cloud City to the lower levels, and sent the rest to an outgoing ship. He wondered just how long it was going to take Han and his family to get here. He was working quietly to get some kind of resistance started. He didn't want to put his people in danger, but whatever Tann was doing couldn't be good. Especially with the latest shipments of heavy weapons that were coming through and going to someplace called Endor. What would they need so many turbolaser turrets for anyway? There had been enough come through in the last week to arm three of the Republic's biggest battleships. 

Lando knew that someone was planning a war at this point. Just a good look at any of the manifests this week would make that plain. In addition Tann's droids had completely taken over the Tibanna gas mining operations and all of the gas the City produced was going to this mysterious Endor place. The disturbing thing was that Cloud City's Tibanna was really only useful in capital ship weapons, since it was spin-sealed. Tann, acting in his name had ended every contract Lando had with the Republic and several systems for their planetary defense forces.

The picture Lando was putting together was not a happy one. At the rate Tann was stockpiling military grade weapons, she'd be able take on the Republic itself and possibly win. The implications of such a conflict chilled Lando to the bones. Trillions would die in such a war, just from starvation as trade routes were severed, not to mention the trillions more that would die from orbital bombardments and invasions. That was just the civilian toll, the Republic military would pay a very high butchers bill to win such a war, and the Republic would have no choice but to fight it.

Lando realized that he needed to get this information to the Republic as soon as possible, but how? He was afraid that if he waited for Han and the Jedi that it would be too late, but he couldn't leave, nor could Lobot, the only other he would truly trust with the mission.

* * *

Leia turned the comm station on, knowing that Liz would probably be home, and probably alone. She waited for a little bit then Liz came on the comm. 

"Leia! How's Kashyyyk?" Liz asked.

"It's lovely. The Wookiees love the twins. I just called to apologize for letting all of this interfere with our weekly lunch Liz, I'll make it up to you when I get back."

"I know you've been busy."

"That doesn't change the fact that I've been horrible and forgotten all about you."

"Well, if you insist on beating yourself up over it…"

"Ok. Now that we've established my right to feel like a heel over this, where do you want to go when I get back?"

"There's a new place on Republica that I want to try. I can't remember its name right now, though."

"Ok, we'll go there. What's new back home?"

"Well, Jae's in trouble."

"Again?" Leia asked automatically.

"Yeah, only this time it's bad. Mom and Dad are really worried about her this time. Obi-Wan's pulled her out of all her classes. They are worried that she's going to let this jealousy turn her to the dark side."

"The dark side?"

"Yeah, Jae seems to have formed a elaborate conspiracy centered on Jaz."

"What kind of conspiracy?"

"Well, she seems convinced that Jaz can't be any good at Jedi skills and that Dad put Luke up to taking her as his Padawan. She also seems to think that Master Windu is in on it. As is Mom and basically anyone who tries to tell her the truth."

"That isn't good. Its really bad, in fact," she said slowly, thinking through the ramifications of what Liz had just told her.

"Yes, if you can talk Han into it, I think Mom could use you here." Leia heard her father's voice in the background then. "Daddy says that he needs to talk to Han about Lando, too."

"Ok, I'll go find him and talk to him," Leia said, her mood darkening at the news from home.

"Talk to me about what?" Han asked as he came in to the common room on the _Falcon_.

"Just a second, Han. Let me finish up with Liz then we can talk."

"Ok. Bad news from home?"

"Yeah."

"Is Han there?"

"Yes, I am." Han called out.

"Ok, I'll talk to you later, sis."

"Ok. Love you."

"Love you, too."

The connection closed and Leia turned to Han. "Daddy needs to talk to you about Lando, and Jae is in trouble."

"Ok, the Lando thing I see, but what's new about the little terror being in trouble?" Han still hadn't quite forgiven Jae for 'fresher papering the _Falcon_.

"Mom and Dad are afraid she's in danger of turning to the dark side."

"Oh…We can raise ship within the hour." Han said.

"Thank you!" Leia said pouncing on Han and wrapping him up in a huge hug.

"You're welcome, but I need to breathe to fly the ship!" Han said, exaggerating his lack of air.


	17. Portents

**AN:Thanks everyone for reviewing. I'm headed off for a week(starting sunday next(the 15th)) and I may not be as able to keep pace with my writing, and I may not be able to post anything during that week, but I'll be back on Saturday(not that I'll have time to do anything, my boss will be hot to get me back into work). I should have Chapter 17 up by then, and I really really hope I can have chapter 18 up before then.**

* * *

Chapter 16

Luke settled down in the cockpit, getting ready for the final reversion to realspace. Cedric had again assumed the co-pilot's seat, and Jasmine and Mara had joined them.

"How far from Bothawui are we going to be when we revert to realspace?" Jasmine asked.

"About ten or fifteen minutes away with the sublight engines." Luke answered.

"So we'll be landing pretty quick, right?"

"Not necessarily," Cedric answered, "we have to get landing clearance, and then orbital control will give us an approach vector."

"Oh. How long will that take?"

"Depends on how heavy the traffic is. We could be in a holding orbit for some time."

"How long?"

"However long it takes, Padawan. It could be just a few minutes, or a few hours. On Coruscant, it sometimes takes a few days to get out of a holding pattern if you are headed for a busy port."

"Why don't we ever have to wait that long?"

"The approach vector for the Temple is restricted to use by Jedi and those attached to the Temple Complex."

"What about people who are just there to look at the Temple who are there to decide if they want their kids to come be Jedi?"

"Most of them come by public transport anyway, but those that do use their own ships, are given temporary vector codes that are only good for a certain period of time."

"Oh. That doesn't seem very fair."

"Most people who live on Coruscant have landing platforms attached to their apartments with their own unique approach vectors. There are fees associated with that, but then again, most people who live on Coruscant don't want to leave."

"What if they do?"

"The vast majority of the galaxy uses public transport. The citizens of Coruscant are no exception."

"So we're weird?"

"No, most people don't want the expense or the trouble of maintaining a starship."

"So they're lazy?"

"No, but they have full-time jobs and families that take up their time, and it costs a lot of money to have and upkeep a ship."

"Well, how much?"

"The standard yearly maintenance on a Class 7 hyperdrive can cost from two to ten thousand credits, depending on how much it's used."

"That's a lot."

"Yes, and that's on top of the initial expense of the ship in the first place, which runs, oh, thirty thousand credits, for a used ship, or more, depending on the ship. Most new ones don't go for less than a hundred thousand."

"I didn't know there was that much money in the whole galaxy!"

Cedric laughed, "Hey, Spitfire, the Gross Domestic Product of the Republic is just over twenty quintillion credits."

"You're making that word up, Cedric!"

"No, he's not. Think about it this way, Little Bit, the population of the Republic is a little over two hundred trillion, and a quadrillion is a thousand trillion, and a quintillion is a thousand quadrillion. So, if the economy was split evenly among all the citizens of the Republic, each person would make a hundred thousand credits."

"So why don't we do that?"

Cedric fielded the question, sounding like he was in his element again, "Because the economy would completely fall apart if we tried. Think about it. If you were someone who made a lot of money at what you do, no matter how hard you work, what you do, or how much you actually make for yourself, you only take home 100,000 credits, and the rest is taken and given to other people. Or, on the other hand, if you're an average person, making less, and are given a handout, would you try to improve your situation any? Keep in mind that most the fabulously wealthy in the galaxy started with nothing. Second generation rich tend to squander their wealth and die with nothing."

"Oh. I didn't think about that. It's fair that you get what you work for, and have the opportunity to work for more if you want it."

Cedric reached over to her and ruffled her hair. "Glad you see the point. We'll make a politics junkie out of you in no time."

* * *

Leia picked up Sabé, glad to finally be home again. Kashyyyk was a wonderful place, but it wasn't home. _Wait, what am I thinking? Coruscant isn't home, either, is it?_ The doubt crept into her thoughts. She shook her head, and banished the doubts. That was what was wrong with her; why she couldn't connect with her new siblings, why she couldn't connect with the Force. She'd barely spoken to Han while they'd been on Kashyyyk, his 'brother' Chakk, having taken him off for something or another, and Chewie, and several other Wookiees that she didn't quite know the names of. 

Chewie had stayed on Kashyyyk; Han wasn't about to tear him away from his family when his sister had yet to have her cub. Chewie had made him promise a long list of things before they left, only about half of which she'd understood, but the stay on Kashyyyk had improved her Shyriiwook significantly.

She shook away the reminiscing, preparing to face her own family. She walked down the ramp, and found that the only person there to greet them was her father. "Daddy!"

She went over and hugged him, careful of the baby in her arms. "Hello, Leia. How was your trip?"

"Good. My Shyriiwook is much better for it."

"Good. How are you doing?"

"Good. Master Secura and I did a lot of talking."

He nodded. Before he could decide what else he wanted to say, there was a loud crash from the ship, and she heard Han's voice, "Damn it, why did Chewie have to stay behind?"

"I think I'd better go help him, before he gets hurt."

"Ok. Where's Mom?"

"At home."

"Where's Luke?"

"On his way to Bothawui."

Disappointment colored her face as he went up the ramp. Aayla came up to her, having been fussing with Kitster while she spoke with her father, "Come on, Padawan. He shouldn't be more than a few days. Bothawui isn't that far, and what he has to do shouldn't take that long."

"Yes, Master," she said, chagrined. "Let's go see your grandmother," she said to Sabé, and they let Han and Anakin handle the luggage, and headed for the Skywalker's quarters.

* * *

Julia went to Flight class, anticipating another day of fun and breathless anticipation. Master Tiin seemed to think it was actually fun, once he got used to flying with her. Not like Uncle Obi-Wan. _Poor Daddy._ "Master, I am ready for my Flight lesson," she said as she went up to Master Tiin. 

"I've been thinking about that, youngling. Would you mind if we did not do that today, and instead we talked?"

A shiver of anticipation ran down her spine. _Maybe today is the day._ "I'd rather fly, Master, I have to admit, but there will be other days."

"Very good. Let us go somewhere quieter, and we can talk."

* * *

Jaedrea was doing her homework again, or rather staring off into space, and acting like she was doing something, when Master Qui-Gon walked into her Master's Quarters. 

"Master Qui-Gon," she said respectfully.

"Young Skywalker. How are you today?"

"I'm a little behind with my schoolwork," she said, which was true, but not the answer he was looking for.

"Do you need assistance with your work? I'm sure that Obi-Wan remembers enough about his classes to at least help you with some of them."

"No, Master, I just haven't been keeping up. It's not really my fault, though."

"Oh?"

"Well, every time I get a good start on something, someone interrupts me to talk about Jasmine."

"What's wrong with Jasmine?"

"Nothing, Master."

"Then why would everyone want to be talking to you about her?"

"Because Daddy talked Luke into taking her as his Padawan and they're trying to convince me that he didn't."

"I see. So are you mad at your father for having asked Luke to do that?"

"No, I understand that he doesn't want to be considered a failure as a father because she can't cut it as a Padawan."

"So are you mad at Luke for agreeing to something his father asked him to do?"

"Well, no, but I'm mad at him for giving her everything she wants."

"So she's gotten everything that she wants?"

"Yes."

"And what is that?"

"To be recognized in lightsaber combat, she got put into one of Master Windu's classes, you know. She's in Obi-Wan's Political Strategy class. She's not in any other classes, and she isn't getting enrolled until she gets back from this mission, either. And that's another thing. She's on her first mission _already_. It's not fair."

"So that's all that she wants?"

"I don't know. Maybe she wants other things, but don't you think that's enough for right now?"

"I think that would be rather overwhelming if I were in her shoes."

"Yeah. She's getting all this stuff she wants without the adults around her considering her safety. Has Luke even taught her anything yet?"

"I don't know the answer to that, youngling."

"He has to have tried, but I don't think she could even learn the most basic shields. It's good that they aren't going anywhere dangerous."

"Yes, they are just checking out an old dusty Temple that hasn't been inhabited in ten thousand years. I doubt it's even interesting."

"Yeah, that really doesn't sound too interesting. Is Bothawui interesting?"

"I don't know, Padawan, but you could see what information that the HoloNet has about it."

"That's a good idea, Master Qui-Gon."

"So what is it that you were working on when I interrupted you?"

"Galactic History."

"Ah. That, my dear, is an incredibly fascinating subject."

"Have you lost it, Master Qui-Gon?"

"No, you just have to look at it with the right perspective."

She looked at him incredulously as he pulled the datapad out of her hand. "Ah, this can be a most fascinating time in history. Alana Estec is a woman of singular talent, much like your mother."

"She's like Mom?"

"Very much so. She was an outstanding philanthropist, and a consummate politician."

"What's a philanthropist?"

"A person who cares about people."

"Oh. Mom is like that."

"I know."

"So she's like Mom?"

"Yes, does that make her a little more interesting?"

"Yes. She also makes more sense."

* * *

Leia sighed, _finally._ The twins were in bed and both asleep. She sat down on the sofa, content to just do nothing for a little while. She hadn't realized quite how spoiled she was getting on Kashyyyk. They'd been the center of the entire village's attention, and were quite well cared for. She only saw them when they needed something from her. 

"They got passed around to the Wookiees, didn't they?"

She looked up at her father, and smiled. "Yes. I don't think there was a Wookiee in the village that was unwilling to look after them. Cubs are very precious to the Wookiees, and these two are fascinating, I think because most people won't trust their newborns to a Wookiee."

"Whyever not? Wookiees are just as good at taking care of babies as anyone."

"I think the ability to rip a grown man limb from limb has something to do with it."

"I could see that. So how are they adjusting?"

"We're doing ok."

"What about you, Princess?"

"I'm getting there. I realized something while I was on Kashyyyk."

"What's that?"

"I have been letting myself be plagued by doubt. With everything going on, I wasn't adjusting because I didn't think I could do it."

"You think you can do it now?"

"I know that I _can_. Now it's simply a matter of actually doing it."

"Very good, Leia. I'm proud of you."

"Even though I've been horrible to you?"

"You are my daughter, no matter how you treat me, Leia."

"Thank you, Daddy," she said, giving him a hug.

* * *

Anakin sat in Mace Windu's meditation chamber. He still didn't meditate often, using other things to substitute; working on ships, droids, and lightsabers. That was his real meditation. Occasionally, though, it was helpful to just clear his mind and let his conscious mind go. Now was one of those times. He'd done everything he could think of to turn Jaedrea from the path she'd chosen, and she stubbornly refused to get off it. "What can we do for her, Master?" 

"I don't know, Anakin. She has chosen this path. Maybe she needs to see it to the end before she can return to us."

"I don't want that for her. It's such a hard road."

"She seems intent on going down it."

"So what should I do?"

"That is not a question that I can answer for you. You may need to be prepared to kill her, Anakin, if she forces a fight. I do not say this lightly, but if she insists on going to the dark side, she must be dealt with. Saved if possible, but we can't have her on the path of Darkness. You know where that led the last time," Mace said with sympathy.

Anakin stiffened, anger at the implication that she would have to be killed. He quickly re-directed that emotion into determination to save her. "I'm not giving up on her. I know Obi-Wan hasn't, and won't."

"Nobody is asking you to. I just want you to be prepared for the worst case scenario."

"Yes, Master. I don't have to like it, though."

"I hope for all of our sakes we can turn her from the darkness. Only pain will this path bring, to us all. We all love her, in spite of her penchant for practical jokes."

"It's not the same as being her father."

Mace smiled in spite of the topic, "I wouldn't know about that, but I suspect what you say is true."

"Just don't give up on her. I was able to be brought back, and I can bring her back from this edge," Anakin said, his voice raw with unshed tears.

"One question I do have is why didn't her Master pick up on this before it got this bad?"

"Jaedrea has always been one to bottle things up. She is rather like me in that respect."

"I see. I wish you luck in saving her. May the Force be with you both."

* * *

Cedric sighed as they landed. The flight had been a good one, but he didn't like being out of touch with the rest of the Galaxy. Something that had been itching at him came to the surface then. He reached for the comm, hoping he could get a hold of Leia. He tried at home first, she might be back from Kashyyyk. "Cedric, what can I do for you?" 

"I've got a problem, Leia."

"I don't know that I'll be any help, little brother, but I can listen."

"Oh, this is right up your alley, Sis."

She raised her eyebrow at him, the way that Dad did when he'd said something that he didn't believe. "Well, as I said, I'll listen."

"Bail Organa asked me to do something for him."

She perked up, and he knew why. There were at least three or four reasons that Bail was interesting to her. "What did he want you to do?"

"He wanted me to draft a new Constitution for him."

"Does Mom know?"

"That he asked me? I didn't tell her, but I don't doubt that she does. He asked me while I was helping Jaz with her homework."

"So what's your question?"

* * *

Jasmine screamed, fear coursing through her as she woke. It wasn't any time before Luke was there, holding her. She shook, the images of the dream still swimming vividly through her head. 

"Nightmare?"

She nodded, not trusting her voice yet.

"Tell me about it," he said, half question, half command.

"Jae, she was mad at me."

"Why?"

"I don't know. It was scary, the scariest thing I've ever seen. Her eyes weren't brown any more, they were yellow."

"You're sure?" She nodded.

Luke rocked her gently, remembering the eyes of all the Sith he had seen.


	18. Shmi

**Warning: if you are particularly sensitive, you may want to skip this chapter, and the next, and the one after that...Well, I think the worst of the really bad stuff ends in chapter 21, which will post as chapter 22(Since you have the whole list of characters thing as chapter 1). I have thought really hard, and I don't think that anything I'm writing is any worse than watching Anakin burn on screen. If you can handle that, you shouldn't have too much of a problem with this, but chapters 17-20 are not pretty chapters. This story is rated T for a reason. This is it. **

**AN:Hmm. Where to start. I haven't gotten as many reviews as I typically do, although the one that rimera left was thought provoking, and I appreciate all the reviews I did get. I did go re-write one section since I posted the last chapter, so if you had a problem with the section between Mace and Anakin, I did 'fix' that. It's a little better. I do listen to my readers. If you don't like the direction my story is going, tell me! I want to make this the best story I can. Just to put your mind at ease, I'm not going to be having Anakin killing Jae. Ever. That's not what I meant to imply, and I think that I did, especially in light of Jasmine's nightmare, which was a nightmare, not a vision(just so you know.).  
**

**So, I guess what I want to say is that I hope you can hang in there with this dark section, and not abandon my story. I really do know where I'm going with it, at least this part, and a lot of it is written. Most of the time, I don't write ahead. The chapters that you see is all that is written, and I start working on the next chapter the day after I post one. If I go in a bad direction, I'm not sure what I'd do to back up and start over...hope that doesn't happen. So far so good on getting everything ready for my trip. (Except that someone's decided to arrive a little early...but that's her prerogative****.) and I still hope to have Chapter 18 up either Saturday or Sunday morning. Enough rambling, on to story!!!!  
**

* * *

Chapter 17

Luke walked behind the Bothan official as she described the wonders of the Temple they were walking through, with Mara at his side. He looked at the first few levels, and was disheartened, but once they got down below the current ground level, although it hadn't been ground level when the Temple was abandoned, he was surprised at how well the place had actually weathered the time that it had been abandoned. Surprisingly little was going to have to be done to make the Temple ready to use, mostly excavating the outside.

He heard laughter coming from nearby as Cedric and Jasmine played Force Tag. They seemed to be enjoying themselves, and the place seemed safe enough. He focused his attention on the verbose woman again, as she described details of the Temple that had been lost to time. He sighed inwardly, waiting for her to leave them alone. The Bothan government was only too happy to host a Temple full of Jedi on their planet again. This would be the fourth outside the Main Temple on Coruscant. Alderaan, Dantooine, and Naboo hosted the other three. Ancient documents, artifacts and other trivialities had been found in the other two Temples, Alderaan's Jedi were making do as a new Temple was constructed for them; he hoped that this would yield a more informative Library than the other two had. There were more informal groups spread throughout the galaxy as well, Corellia hosted a number of Jedi permanently, thought most of the younglings that came from that planet still went to one of the main Temples to receive their training.

* * *

Jaedrea looked at her homework again, but she wasn't really concentrating on it. She'd finally gotten caught up, not that it really was any big deal; she was going to be out of school for Force-only-knew how long. 

It really irked her that she hadn't gotten to be out of school the way Jaz was getting to, or getting to go traipsing around the galaxy, as her father had put it, or a super special lightsaber built by someone else. She'd had to build her own lightsaber, and it didn't do anything special. _She _had a special lightsaber that augmented her powers so that nobody would know that she couldn't do anything with the Force. _She_ got to use that lightsaber in Mace Windu's Lightsaber Dueling class. _She _got to take a class with her Master, taking Obi-Wan away from her even more than Cedric or Leia would have. Nobody understood how weak Jasmine was, except her.

She would have to prove it to everyone. She would have to do something to make sure that everyone knew just how weak Jasmine was. She would have to make everyone see, so that they would make her do what she needed to be doing, instead of what she wanted to be doing. _Spoiled little bit._ She had somewhere along the way, started making demands, and everyone was bowing to her every wish. Maybe that was part of the power that she'd received with her new lightsaber. Maybe she could take that from Jaz and that would show everyone. _Yes, I'll take her lightsaber, and with it, her power._

* * *

Sev'rance Tann thought about the first time that she'd seen this thing as she boarded her Master's favored creation. _Darth Maul had waited for her arrival. It was almost complete. It was crewed by droids, for the most part, unlike the plans left for him by his former Master, but that could not be helped. Star Marshal Tarkin had outdone himself by keeping the project on schedule. It would take a mere six weeks to finish, and then the war could begin. The Republic would not know what hit it. As he was lost in thought, looking at the pinnacle of Sith creation, she arrived._

"_You are late, my Apprentice."_

"_My apologies, my Master. There were some details that needed to be rectified on Cloud City."_

"_Is Calrissian being obstinate?"_

"_Always, Master. But he does not try my patience. He knows the price of that."_

"_Good. Now look upon our victory." Outside the window, she'd seen what she initially thought was a small moon, but then she realized that it was no moon, it was the largest space station she had ever seen. _

_She asked him then, "How does an immobile weapons platform secure our victory over the Republic and the Jedi?"_

"_Watch." The tattooed Sith Lord reached over and flipped the comm switch. "Space Marshal Tarkin, you may commence with your test."_

"_Yes, my Lord," a crisp, clipped male voice responded. _

_Tann watched with awe as the massive structure turned, and directed what she initially had perceived as a crater, toward the forested moon below. She watched with a mixture of horror and astonishment as a bright green beam struck the moon, and enveloped it, causing it to shatter into a million pieces._ Shaking herself out of her reverie, she walked over to where her Master waited for her.

"I know what you have planned," he told her without preamble.

"What do you mean, my Master?"

"Your child. I know that you mean to have a child that you can raise to be a Sith, to be your Apprentice. I will not allow this. You will terminate this abomination."

Shocked at his revelation that he knew a good deal about her recent activities, she said nothing.

"I did not bring you into being to behave in this reprehensible manner. The proper order of things, if you must do it, is to remove me, then find yourself an apprentice. Not to create your own. That is an act for those who care. You do not care, do you, my Apprentice?" the coldness of his voice cut through her to the core.

"No, my Master."

"Then this order will not create a problem for you will it?"

She considered for a time. Lying to him would only make things worse for her, but telling him the truth wasn't exactly an option either. "I will not do that, Master. This child is more important than merely being my Apprentice. He will be a power to rival any at the Temple."

Maul shook his head. "I should have sought another to be my apprentice. I was too fascinated by your mother. She was flawed; I thought in raising you in the manner in which I was would cure that. I didn't realize that the flaws she had were simply inherent."

"What are you talking about, Master?"

"Well, my pet, when I decided that your mother, if you wish to continue to call her that, was still too attached to her former life, I killed her, then used her genetic code to create you. The cloners on Kamino are quite a group of mercenaries. Now I will end this experiment, and find myself a true Apprentice." With that Maul drew his blade and attacked, which Tann blocked with ease and let the dark side flow through her. Anger came easily, and hate. How DARE he ask this of her! Her hatred of him welled up from a bottomless pit within her soul. She hated him for the numerous rapes he forced her to endure so she could learn to control her fear, despised him for the six dead siblings of this child that were never born, killed by him while they were still in her womb. He would not destroy this one. He would not destroy Cedric's child. He would not destroy the only piece of him she could truly call her own. She channeled those feelings into a terrible burst of Force Lightning, fiercer than anything she'd ever thrown, which Maul simply caught with his blade, then he tried to redirect it to her womb and the fledgling life ensconced within. She stopped the assault and redirected the dark energy elsewhere, absorbing her own hate and recycling it. He then moved with a speed that his advanced years would suggest impossible, striking at her with fury with both ends of his lightstaff.

Tann parried each blow expertly, closing off all potential attack vectors, however she wasn't able to open up his defenses, if she was charitable enough to call them that. His defense philosophy seemed to be stay on the attack and batter his opponent until they yielded. Rage built up in her, and she concentrated it. She needed it wrapped up as tight as she could make it. He wasn't going to give any openings, so she would have to make one. Their battle raged on, they twisted and spun in his throne room as her rage built, coiling around her soul, tighter, more concentrated, like a nebula about to give birth to a new sun. Their blades flashed and crashed in multiple impacts a second. Persistence of vision formed elaborate and hauntingly beautiful patterns as they battled; however no one was in the room to appreciate the savage beauty of their deadly dance. The thunder of their battle roared and echoed as she coiled the ropes of her hate, her anger, the years of abuse she had gone through at his hands and on his orders. Soon, very soon, SHE would be the Master and he would be just a bad memory.

Tann was approaching critical mass now. She kicked at his waist, which he blocked with his shin, she twisted and nearly cut him in half, but he was too fast and she missed her mark. She continued to pile the dark energy into herself, compressing it. It was hot inside her, so hot she could start to feel it burn. Soon it would be time to release it and he would be just a memory. She threw every cut of his lash, every unwelcome encounter, every beating, every indignity into her rage and hate. She put all the Johns he made her take to her bed, every abuse they put her through when she was just blooming into womanhood. Especially the first one, a Hutt. Then finally she released it all in a violent explosion of dark power.

The power threw Maul off balance, knocking him into the railing surrounding a pit. She walked calmly up to him, her hair flying wildly in all directions, her very skin glowing with dark power; a blood red aura surrounded her. Her eyes glowed, not the red they normally did, but bright sickly yellow. She drank in the fear he felt for the first time in decades, using it to fuel her Storm. Lightning crackled around her as the dark gale strengthened. She calmly walked over to her former Master, and raised him up with the Force, crushing his lightstaff as she did so. She continued to feed on his fear, drinking in the sweet emotion, letting it fuel her vengeance. She moved him over the pit.

"This is the end for you, Master. Now I am the Master of the Sith," her voice was deep and resonant. It echoed, without echoing, reverbing through everything in the room. Then she cut him in two with her lightsaber as he hung there in mid-air, and let him drop. Only then did the storm ease, and finally end. She glowed in her triumph, her vengeance. She could have anything! She would claim Cedric as her husband and lover. How could he not love her now, when she was so POWERFUL? She moved to contact Star Marshall Tarkin, when a sudden pain hit her abdomen, dropping her to her knees. She knew this pain, having experienced it so many times before, when Maul had killed the life within her. Tann knew real fear then, as blood started seeping from between her legs.

* * *

Qui-Gon looked with sympathy as he examined Anakin's reaction to Jaedrea's irrational actions. "She's not acting in a rational manner, and speaking with her about the rational course is only going cause her to behave more irrationally. I've seen you act this way often enough." 

"So what do you suggest?"

"The only thing I ever found that worked with you was riding it out. Leave her alone about what she's doing, and hope that she comes to her senses before she causes too much of a ruckus. And watch her like a hawk."

"That's not an easy thing that you ask, Qui-Gon."

"I did it often enough with you. I think you can do it for one of your children. Just be thankful that more of them didn't inherit this particular set of traits from you."

"Oh, you can be sure that I do. She's been a handful, I don't know how Mom ever handled me."

Qui-Gon's eyes twinkled as he suggested something he knew Anakin hadn't thought of yet. "Oh, I'm sure she'd be glad to tell you if you asked her."

* * *

Lando had waited for weeks for Tann to leave. She'd been in an increasingly foul mood the longer she stayed. He'd treaded very lightly around her, and he'd felt lucky that she hadn't seen it necessary to show him her wrath. She'd dismantled enough droids while she was there to require more be sent. He'd seen her only once before lunchtime, and that had been enough for him. She was not a woman to be trifled with, especially when she was, well, not at her best. 

He focused on the task before him, ensuring that the latest shipment of turbolaser parts didn't get to its intended destination of Endor. The best way to ensure that was to arrange an accident in hyperspace. The only real way of doing that was placing a bomb on the hyperdrive, unfortunately there were very few places to hide one that the crew wouldn't find it, even if they were just droids. The ships security was tight, but not tight enough with the riot Lando had arranged. His greatest hope was to be able to do this with no loss of life. So he hoped that the droids wouldn't use lethal force on the rioters.

He made his way quietly to the engine room; no droids were there, as this ship wasn't scheduled to leave for another forty-eight hours. Once in the engine room he placed the detonator pack underneath the hyperdrive, where he hoped the explosion would cause the ship to be forever lost in hyperspace.

* * *

Cedric really wished that Leia were here with them. Talking over the comm wasn't the same. He sighed. "Well, it's like this, Leia. I want to make this Constitution malleable, but it needs to be very difficult to change. I know I won't be able to think of everything that needs to go in it, but it needs to be better than what we have now. It needs to not be changed unless there's a really good reason. 

"Four-fifths of the Senate?"

"I'm thinking it needs something more stringent."

"I'll think about it, and get back to you, just don't stress out on it too much, it's going to be reworked when the politicians get a hold of it."

"Ok. Thanks, Leia."

"No problem," she said, her eyes darting away from the screen.

"The twins?"

She smiled at his instant understanding of the situation. "Yeah, it's about time to feed them."

"I'll leave you to it then. I've got to go catalog the library anyway."

"You found it?"

"Yeah, it wasn't too terribly hidden, at least not for someone who's grown up in the Main Temple. This one is laid out on the same floor plan. I'll talk to you when we both have less to be doing, sis."

"Alright. Let me know if you find anything interesting."

"I will," he said, then she cut the signal, and he sighed, flipping the station off at his end as well.

* * *

Jasmine stuck close to Cedric for most of the day; they were looking through the library, which was in reasonably good shape. Luke had instructed Cedric to do a preliminary catalog of what was in there. Cedric hated the task, not because he minded going through the books, but because he couldn't take time to read them. Jasmine had caught him on more than one occasion reading instead of sorting, and teased him about it, which he good-naturedly teased her back about Orlin. They explored the library for about two hours, Cedric sorting, Jasmine fetching. On her sixth trip out into the shelves she found a crystal dodecahedron, similar to the Great Holocron back home. It was about the size of her own head, smaller than the Great Holocron, by a lot. She reached to pick it up and as she touched it, she found herself in a dark void, knowledge pouring into her mind. The experience was exhilarating. She saw things, people, places, techniques, and history. All of this and more, and it seemed to be happening all at once. She couldn't keep up with it no matter what she did. A small part of her nearly overwhelmed mind wondered where the Keeper was. Luke had talked to her about what to expect with her first encounter with the Great Holocron, something that would happen in a few months, and this wasn't anything like what Luke described. She started to get scared, but then in her expanded sense of the universe, she felt…family. Someone in incredible pain, the pain of death. She reached out with all the love and light she held in her heart to help, only the smallest part of her wondering who it could be that was in such pain. Her energy reached the poor soul, who was young, very young. When she tried to push the love and energy into it, a dark wave knocked it aside. 

She needed to get past the darkness, and the holocron was more than accommodating, providing her with several options to get past it. She chose the fastest method; whoever it was didn't have much time. She took the darkness into herself, sucking it down and attempted to dispose of it as the Holocron described, but found that it was harder than it sounded. The dark poison filled her, and she just couldn't purge it fast enough. She felt herself losing consciousness. She couldn't give in, not yet…she had to save him. There was so much darkness though, deeper than any ocean in the galaxy, thick and cold. More and more of it poured into her soul. Far faster than her mental bilge pumps could handle. When she knew that she was about to lose the fight to stay aware, she let loose with a bolt of love to the suffering child, and with the last of her awareness saw it pierce the shadows that were drowning him and the flare drove the darkness away, giving hope and life to him. She smiled as her awareness fled.

* * *

Padmé paced as Leia fed Sabé; she was glad that her eldest daughter was home. Though she could tell the nervous energy she was giving off was affecting both Leia and her granddaughter. Granddaughter, Padmé couldn't believe that she was old enough to be a grandmother. She wondered absently whether her Mother or Shmi had similar thoughts about become a great-grandmother. 

"Mom! Sit down and relax. Dad Luke and Obi-Wan will save her," Leia said, finally speaking up.

"I'm sorry dear. I'm just tied up with worry for your sister," Padmé said, sitting down, but not really relaxing.

"I know, but we've done everything we can, Jae is going have to deal with this on her own. I do know this, Luke's got an impressive track record on bringing people back into the light."

"Yes, your brother has that gift, for sure."

"Yes he does."

At that moment the door chime sounded.

"Who could that be? We don't know anyone that uses that thing," Padmé said and got up to answer the door. She opened the door and broke into an immediate smile.

"Owen! Beru! Mother Shmi! Why didn't you tell us you were going to visit?" Padmé exclaimed as she hugged the three of them in turn.

"Don't be daft, Padmé, we had to leave in a hurry or Owen wouldn't have come, if we'd taken time to call, Owen would've been half way back to the farm by the time I was done talking to you," Beru said, laughing, as Owen made a gruff noise.

"It wasn't that hard, woman," he said, sourly, than said in a more cheerful tone "Its good to see you too, Padmé."

"Its great to see you dear. We've missed all of you, but I just had to come see my great-grandchildren," Shmi said as Padmé led them in.

"Grandmother, you'll have to wait a few minutes for this one, she's still hungry," Leia said warmly as Padmé took Kitster to his great-grandmother.

* * *

Luke walked into the Library, wanting to check on the two younger Skywalkers. Cedric was sorting through a stack of books, but Jasmine was nowhere in sight. "Where's Jasmine?" 

Cedric looked up from the book he was examining. "She went to get some more stuff for me to look at."

"Has she been gone long?"

"A little while," he said, and his brow creased as he thought about it. "She's been gone longer than she should have," he said, his face losing a bit of its normal color as he realized that she should have been back some time ago.

He walked with Luke as they went through the massive library, as they searched for her. Luke wasn't really worried; the Library was huge, and something might have caught her interest. "Jasmine!" he called out to her several times. He tried reaching her through the bond after she didn't answer, but it was closed down from her end. Annoyance crossed his face. _What in the world could she be doing that has her out of touch with reality?_ He could vaguely feel what direction she was in, and he headed off.

"What?" Cedric asked, concerned at the expression on his face, no doubt.

"I can't feel her through her Padawan bond. She's done this before, but I don't understand why she'd be doing this _now._"

"What do you mean she's done this before?"

"Oh, when she was making her lightsaber she was so deep in the Force that the bond closed off. I hope she's not gotten into something dangerous."

The shock on Cedric's face puzzled him a little bit. "Shaak Ti never had that problem with me."

"Really? Well, the first time I built a lightsaber, I didn't have a Master to worry over me."

"What about Master Qui—oh."

"I remember that, too, but he never tried."

Cedric smiled as they headed over to another aisle. Once they emerged from between the shelves, Luke said, "This is taking too long," and he stopped, stretching out with the Force. He was hit by a very dark presence. _Tann,_ he thought as he pulled his lightsaber out.

Cedric was only half a second behind him in doing the same, and they stalked toward the dark presence. A small stack of books and a couple of artifacts into the aisle let them know where to look, and he saw Jasmine, crumpled on the floor, with a death grip on a holocron. He realized with horror that the darkness was not emanating from a nearby Sith Lord, but from her. He put his lightsaber away, and knelt down beside her, placing his fingers on her forehead, and sought out information as to what had happened through the Force. He quickly found that the darkness coming off her was not her own, but something she had absorbed. Why he didn't know, until he found that she was trying to purge herself of it. He reasoned that since she was holding the holocron, it might have a sense as to why this was happening. He gently pulled it from her grip, and activated it.

A small figure appeared. "Why did you let her touch this holocron?"

Taken back by the very forward question from the Keeper, he answered truthfully. "I didn't. She was collecting artifacts from this Temple. It was abandoned ten thousand years ago, and we are preparing to have it reopened."

"She should never touch a holocron again. She has many skills, but no skin."

"What does that mean?"

"To her, holocrons are not repositories of knowledge, but focusing crystals for her power. There is usually one a generation born."

"I've never heard of this."

"It is possible that the Jedi have not found one such as her for some time. It has happened."

"What happened?"

"She was reasonably in control, until she felt a life in danger. It was family to her, and she intervened. This rash decision is the reason that we do not allow attachment in the Order."

"She's nine. She will learn to control her impulsiveness."

"And her attachments?"

"My sister has healthy attachments. They will not interfere with her duties as a Jedi."

The Keeper made a rude noise. "She will be able to eventually purge herself of the darkness she's taken in. You could help her, but it will not do her harm to do it herself. In fact, it will strengthen her," with that, the holocron closed down.

"He was rather rude."

"I think he was rather upset with me."

"You think?"

Luke shot him a dirty look. "Let's get her back to the ship, and we can figure out what to do with this holocron and these other things later."

"I think we should take this rude _thing_ and chuck it into space. Maybe it would learn some manners then."

Luke laughed, "No. Bring it with us; maybe one of the Masters at the Temple will know what to make of it. We'll take it home." He said, easily picking up Jasmine's slight form, cradling her protectively against his chest.


	19. Welcome home?

**AN: Ah, two new voices in the peanut gallery make themselves heard. Welcome to both of you, **Walkerenski** and **Sora Isrra

Sora Isrra:**Actually, no one is going to mention Jasmine's weird powers to Jaedrea. Jasmine's lightsaber only amplifies her power to the extent that it is very specifically crafted by her for her. A conversation between the redeemed Vader and Immolious would be entertaining. **

Teresa:**The Keeper is only a representation of a long-dead Jedi Master, and therefore can't 'get a life,' although he will eventually not be as caustic about the relationship thing. **

Elizabeth:**Oh, while having her take Jasmine's lightsaber would prove entertaining, Jae is so far beyond that right now...poor thing. I really do feel sorry for Jae at the moment, but, well, she's brought this on herself, as you'll see.**

* * *

Chapter 18

Anakin opened the door to his quarters, and found the living room full of people. Annoyed, he was about to send everyone home, so that he could have some peace and quiet, when he realized who it was that had invaded his home. It was probably a very good thing for his grandchildren that Shmi wasn't holding one of them right at that moment, because he was over to her and crushing her in a bear hug before anyone could blink. "Ani. I missed you, too, sweetheart, but I would prefer if my feet could be on the floor, please?" she said, once it became apparent that he wasn't going to put her down any time soon. He released her reluctantly.

"What's gotten into you, Ani?"

"I've had a really, really rough last four months."

"You want to talk about it?"

He shook his head. "Maybe later."

"Alright. I'll hold you to that."

He nodded, and sat down next to her.

* * *

Jasmine woke up feeling like Bantha poodoo. There was this awful metallic taste in her mouth. She tried to move, and that hurt. She tried to laylie still, but that hurt, too. She sighed, resigning herself to a painful existence, and got up. She felt stiff, and was immediately dizzy as she tried to stand. Not only was the room spinning around horizontally, it was also spinning vertically. She tried to reach out along her bond with Luke, but that only made her nauseous. "Luke?" she called out weakly, hoping he was nearby. The door opened, and she could tell by the red hair that it was Mara. She couldn't focus enough to make out her features, but it didn't matter that much to her right then. "I feel terrible. What happened?"

"What do you remember?" she asked, sounding both concerned and sympathetic.

"I was reaching out to touch a holocron. I don't think I want to do that ever again, if it feels like this after."

"You don't remember anything of your encounter with it?"

She started to shake her head, but that made her lose what little control she had over her stomach. Unfortunately, she hadn't eaten in Force-only-knew how long. Mara helped her to the head. After she stopped dry heaving, and had drunk a glass of water, she felt somewhat better than she had when she'd woken. She still didn't feel like herself, and the room was still going topsy-turvy, but at least she could focus on Mara's face. She shivered, and her teeth started chattering.

Mara put her hand on her forehead. "We'd better get you back to bed, you've got a fever, sweetie."

"Ok. Where's Luke?"

"Sleeping."

"Ok," she said as her teeth rattled again. Mara picked her up, and put her into bed, since she wasn't feeling at all like walking. "What happened to me?"

"You saved someone's life, according to the holocron."

"They better thank me when I see them," she said as she drifted into a restless sleep.

* * *

Sev'rance Tann didn't quite have a name for the emotion that was running through her at that moment. She'd been sure that Maul had won, because of her own stupidity, but he hadn't. The baby was going to be fine, saved by someone who reminded her of Cedric. A female someone. She'd have to be careful, very careful, for the next few weeks, but so far, so good. She'd learned a valuable lesson today, and she wasn't about to let that go to waste. The life growing inside her couldn't abide the darkness that she had used to defeat Maul.

She walked over to the Star Marshall. He was an odious man. She intently disliked him. The only reason that she didn't kill him out-of-hand was that he was efficient. He produced amazing results with only the paltriest of crews. If he'd been Force-sensitive, she would have made him her Apprentice, while her child grew into adulthood, but like so many in the galaxy, he was unable to touch the energy that bound the universe together.

"I am here to inform you of a change in command."

"What do you mean?"

"I have disposed of my Master. I am the Master of the Sith now."

"Guards!" he shouted, and that was the only word he got out before she lifted him into the air by his throat with the Force. She exerted enough pressure to keep him silent, but not enough to keep him from breathing.

"This is the way of the Sith, and is not something that you can or should interfere in. I do not expect a problem in this department for some time, myself, but it is the way of the Sith. If you disagree, you are quite expendable."

She released the pressure from his throat, letting him drop the half-a-meter that she'd raised him off the ground. He collapsed at her feet, saying, "Of course, my Empress."

"Good."

* * *

Luke sat in the lounge of their ship. Mara had done something to him, to make him sleep when he needed to be watching over Jasmine. He wasn't particularly happy with her right then, but he understood why she'd done it. Something she'd said to him came to mind, a piece of a conversation he'd had with her after he'd proposed to her.

"Ok, Luke. I'll marry you. But I reserve the right to beat you over the head if you aren't taking care of yourself," and he had to admit, sleeping had made him feel better.

On the table in front of him, was the holocron that had revealed that Jasmine was not a typical Jedi. He activated it, not really wanting to deal with the Keeper's attitude, but prepared to do so anyway. "What can I do for you, Master Jedi?"

"My Padawan doesn't seem to remember her encounter with you."

"That is probably due to the dark energy that she absorbed."

"Do you think she'll remember?"

"Probably not, but it's probably for the best."

"Why?"

"It would be ill-advised for her to use a holocron at all, at least until she attains her own Masterhood. It can be an addictive power, and could potentially lead her to the dark side."

"I see. Tell me about my Padawan's other abilities."

"You may have noticed that she is extremely sensitive."

"It was one of the reasons that I took her on as my Padawan."

"That is both a blessing and a curse for her. She will have deeper insight into those around her, but her mental defenses are virtually non-existent."

"I've noticed."

"You have attempted to train her in shielding?"

"Yes, she doesn't seem to even understand some of the basic concepts of it."

"To teach her to shield is as ludicrous a prospect as a Rishii teaching a human to fly."

"So what can be done to protect her?"

"Not a whole lot. She will have to learn to deal with the distraction. It will eventually become only that."

"What about a concentrated mental attack?"

"It is a moot point, because only Force-wielders can do that, and only those on the dark side would attempt it."

"The Sith are active."

"Preposterous."

"I speak the truth. Is the Keeper of this holocron so closed-minded to deny it?"

The Keeper grumbled at him. "I pity your Master."

"Qui-Gon? I can arrange for you to meet him."

"I do not know that name. I will speak with that person if they so desire."

"He might find you entertaining. He's got an odd sense of humor."

"Holocrons are not for entertainment."

"What defense would she have against a concentrated mental attack?"

"I am unsure that she would be able to find one. These individuals are very powerful Force users, however, they have this liability. A determined opponent would exploit it. Her best defense is to keep her inability a closely guarded secret. Most Force users, light or dark, don't waste their time with mental attacks in combat."

"What about interrogations?"

"She would not be able to keep an interrogator out of her head. Even the simplest techniques, she cannot fend off. Her only defense against this is to feed the interrogator anything but the information that they seek, but this is very difficult, and only highly trained Masters have been able to accomplish this."

"So I'd better start teaching her now."

"You would have to learn how to do it first."

"Well, I have a little time."

The Keeper laughed. "You will need more than 'a little' time, Master Jedi. It takes years to even master the most basic level of this technique."

"Well, I think I could devote a few years to this. It will help Jasmine."

"Very well. We will begin."

* * *

Jaz looked awful, in Celia's professional medical opinion. She listened as Luke recounted her encounter with the holocron, as well as what the holocron had said about her.

"Leave it to a Skywalker to be the most unique of individuals," Stass Allie said.

"How long has she had this fever, Luke?"

"Since she first woke up. It's lower now than it was then," Mara answered.

"I'm feeling lots better from then. The room isn't spinning up anymore."

"Is it spinning at all?"

"Yes, but just around me, it's much better," Jasmine said cheerfully.

Celia shook her head, only her sister could be happy about being dizzy.

"Well, you do remember it's not supposed to spin at all, right?" Celia asked.

"Yes, I just don't really remember what that looks like."

"It's a wonder you knew in the first place, silly."

"Nah, Julia is the one who likes being upside down and every which way."

"Well, brother, her sense of humor, as warped as it is, is back. I think she'll make a complete recovery, but we ought to keep her until the vertigo passes," Celia said, glancing at Stass Allie for confirmation, which was given with a brief nod.

"I have to stay here?! But I want to go home!" Jasmine screeched.

"I'll be here all night Jaz," Celia said, in a comforting tone.

"But the beds are so HARD here."

"You'll live." Celia had to choke down a snicker as Jasmine pouted.

"Would it help if I stayed, Little Bit?" Luke asked.

"Yes, but you need sleep. Mara can stay with me tonight. She insists."

"I didn't say anything!" Mara said.

"But you were thinking it, my love. Jasmine still isn't well, since she couldn't keep that in." Luke said, smiling.

"Well…yes, I was thinking it. And she's right, you do need sleep, in a REAL bed."

"How am I supposed to sleep without you keeping me warm?"

"You don't sleep when Mara keeps you warm. It's better this way." Jasmine said.

"Oh really?"

"Yes, I don't know what you two do at night, but it's too noisy to be sleep."

Celia fought hard not to burst out laughing as Luke and Mara turned several shades redder than they should be.

"Do we keep you up, Padawan?" Luke asked, starting to regain his composure.

"No, it's like with Mommy and Daddy. The emotions I feel from you when you're so noisy make me feel safe."

Celia barely suppressed a shudder, what about THAT could make her little sister feel safe?

"What do you mean?" Mara asked.

"Forever safe. It's warm and cuddly, like a puppy."

Celia lost it then, she couldn't believe that her nine-year-old sister was equating sex with a puppy.

"Are you alright Padawan?" Stass Allie asked her as she collapsed to the floor in a fit of laughter.

"What's so funny, Celia?" Jasmine asked.

It was a few minutes before Celia could answer, "Nothing, little sister, I just feel sorry for Orlin."

The look of confusion on Jasmine's face sent Celia back over the edge into fits of hysterical laughter again. "What does Orlin have to do with Luke and Mara being noisy?" Jasmine asked innocently, sending the rest of the adults into the same state as Celia.

* * *

Leia had just about stopped laughing at Luke, and said, "A puppy?"

"A puppy. That's what she said."

"How did we get such strange siblings? We aren't that bad."

"Depends on who you ask. Besides, she's nine. She doesn't know what she's talking about."

"She can't have any clue what she's talking about if she thinks it's like a puppy. Although, it does do the warm-fuzzy-inside thing."

"See, maybe she's right after all."

"So what are you going to do with her?"

"First I need to learn this technique that the holocron says she will need. Then I teach her."

"Doesn't sound too hard."

"You haven't seen the technique."

"Is it bad?"

"You know what Chewie has you doing?"

"Yeah," she said suspiciously, unconsciously rubbing her backside.

"It's like that, but mentally."

"Ouch."

"Well, actually, the principle behind it is kind of interesting."

"You would say that. You'd probably like to learn tree dancing, too."

"It seems interesting," he said, with that annoying smirk that he got only when he was teasing her.

"Oh!" she huffed. "I don't know why I put up with you."

"Because I'm your brother and you love me. How is your training with the Force coming?"

"Oh, Master Secura is hopeful. She says that I'm a Skywalker, and I'll get it eventually out of sheer stubbornness."

"She knows you pretty well, then, doesn't she?"

"I suppose so. She's been my Master for over ten years. Boy that sounds strange coming out of my mouth."

"I've been married longer than you to someone I never met before we came back."

"Well to hear Jaz tell it, you two are getting along alright."

Luke blushed. "Well, I have assimilated my memories of her. She's a really interesting person."

"I imagine she is to a farmboy from Tatooine."

"Father seems to have known her, from before."

"That can't be good."

"I wonder if we would have met, if we hadn't gone back in time and changed everything."

"Who knows? I count myself lucky that I have Han."

"Even if he's respectable now?"

"Don't let the uniform fool you. He's still the same scruffy-looking nerfherder that he was. He just shaves now. Did you know he was part Wookiee?"

"No."

"Neither did I. He's a full-fledged adopted Wookiee. Oh, Grandma Shmi came, and she dragged Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru along with her."

"What? Why didn't you tell me this earlier? Are they still here?"

"Of course they're still here. It slipped my mind, because you distracted me with that cute story about Jasmine."

"I wonder if Grandmother is going to kill us for not telling her about Dad."

"I don't know. I think she knows. Dad wouldn't let go of her when he saw her."

"Kind of makes you wonder who else is not dead."

"Yeah, it's kinda creepy. I think I understand just a little of what Dad goes through every day."

"Yeah. If Aunt Beru and Uncle Owen are like I remember, though, it was only Uncle Owen she would have had to drag away."

"I think she said something to that effect. She's talking like she wants to stay until our new siblings arrive."

"Uncle Owen isn't going to stay that long."

"I know, but they don't need Grandma around. She can stay here just as well as she can there."

"Why does she ever go back to Tatooine anyway?"

Leia shrugged. "I think it's home for her. She's lived there since Dad was three, at least."

"True," he said, rubbing his arms unconsciously.

"Why do you do that?" she asked him.

"Do what?" he asked, confused.

"Rub your arms."

"Huh?" he asked, then realized what he was doing, and his expression turned to one of slight annoyance. "It's cold in here. Too much time in the heat of two suns."

"Well, that sounds like a reason that she'd want to be there."

"I don't think that's a good enough reason to go back there. I'm comfortable at about thirty-five degrees. Tatooine gets up to about fifty most days. It can't be more than twenty degrees in here."

"Twenty-two, brother dear."

Luke rolled his eyes. "Let's go see the family. Maybe I can catch some lingering warmth off them."

* * *

Anakin sat next to his mother, who was in the middle of demanding information out of Luke and Leia. Her interrogation technique was interesting. She evoked a combination of guilt and duty in her two oldest grandchildren as she questioned them.

"So you traveled back in time with my son, and didn't bother to inform me?"

"Grandma, we were keeping everything really low-key. Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon weren't even supposed to know." Luke said.

"But they do."

"They're smarter than we are. They figured it out."

"We aren't exactly experts at hiding our identities." Leia added.

"Besides, you had no reason to suspect anything at the time." Padmé said. "Not like I did."

"Luke looked like my Ani. I should have suspected something."

"Maybe, but you didn't say anything at the time."

"And if I would have, you would have told me?"

Luke looked sheepishly at her. "I would have tried not to. We still aren't sure what mechanism of the Force permitted us to travel back in time."

"And you are a terrible liar, Luke. I would have seen through you."

"So if you'd said something, I would have eventually told you," he admitted

"And I probably wouldn't have believed you. I wondered at the time why you named them Luke and Leia." Shmi said to Padmé.

"Because those were their names."

"I see that now, but you had to have had a reason to name them that in the first place."

Anakin opened his mouth to speak, but then closed it again. He thought and realized he had the answer that she was looking for, from his original memories. "Padmé liked them, we couldn't agree on whether we were having a boy or girl at the time. She was sure it was a boy and I was equally positive that it was a girl, and since our marriage was secret the first time around, so she had to hide her pregnancy lest there be a huge scandal. So we picked out two names, a boy's name and a girl's name."

"But you were there the first time around, were you?" Shmi asked, but it sounded more like a statement.

He sighed, and couldn't look her in the eyes as he told her what had happened. "No, I wasn't. I was on an operating table in Imperial City in tremendous pain as the medical droids rebuilt me."

"How bad was the damage, Ani?"

"You don't want to know Mom, please don't ask."

"I NEED to know, Anakin. I need to know what you've been through."

Anakin sighed, realizing not for the first time that he came by his stubbornness naturally.

"You're sure?" he asked, his voice full of his reluctance to tell his mother of this.

"Yes, I'm sure," she seemed to brace herself for the worst, which Anakin knew was coming.

He took a moment to gather himself. "After I pledged my self to Chancellor Palpatine and the Sith, he sent me to Mustafar. It's a volcanic world, in the Outer Rim. He sent me there to kill the Separatists leadership that he had sent there."

"How was he able to send them there if he was the Chancellor?"

"He was playing both sides, he completely orchestrated the war we'd been fighting for three years at that point."

"How was he doing that?"

"I don't have details on how he did it, but he was the Separatists mysterious 'benefactor'. If he needed the Seps to lose a battle, he fed the necessary information to the Republics intelligence offices. If he needed the Republic to lose, he'd feed the Seps the information that they needed to defeat our forces. Usually the battles that he wanted the Republic to lose were ones that Masters were leading. I don't know how many Jedi he killed that way." Anakin continued answering his mother's questions with the occasional protest about how she didn't really need to know _everything_, which she ignored and forced him to tell her everything he'd done as Darth Vader. He was surprised through the whole thing, as he never felt any judgment about what he'd done. Sadness, disappointment, and sympathy, both for him and those he'd murdered, but never anger, or disgust.

* * *

It was two days before Jasmine was fit to get out of the Healers Wing. Once she was, she started asking Luke what was next in learning to fly and he decided to check her out in a trainer. They had brought R2 with them so he could fly with Jasmine and keep her out of too much trouble. They walked up to the check in station. "Jedi Skywalker and Padawan Skywalker to check out a trainer," Luke said, dredging up the procedures from his subconscious.

"So formal, Luke. Teaching the student manners?" Biggs said with a hearty laugh. Luke stared, stunned to see his long dead best friend standing before him, his jaw dropped.

"Hey, buddy. I know it's been a while, I don't have a gray hair, do I?" Biggs said in mock horror.

"No…no you look great Biggs," Luke stammered.

"Don't worry about Luke, Uncle Biggs. Darth Immolious hit him in the head a while back, he still hasn't got all his marbles put back yet," Jasmine said in a mock secretive tone, causing Biggs to snicker.

"I see you've managed to crack this Calamari clam's shell, Luke." Biggs said.

"Yeah, sometimes I wonder if it was worth it, some of the things she says." Luke said tousling her hair.

"So, do you want an old ARC-170? Or one of Incom's hot new X-Wings?"

"New X-Wings?"

"Yeah, they started development on them about 5 years ago, the first ones were delivered six months ago. There was a slight problem with their stabilizers with the first prototypes, but they've got it fixed now. I think you'll like them. They need an astromech droid, but you seem to have anticipated that."

Luke nodded, wondering just what else would be different in his favorite fighter class. Biggs led them to the hanger where Luke saw new, well-maintained X-Wings. Their paint wasn't even cracked, and none of them had the scars of battle every X-Wing Luke had ever seen had.

"Beautiful, aren't they?" Biggs said.

"Yes they are." Luke agreed, his eyes shining with anticipation.

"They look COOL!" Jasmine said excitedly.

"Yes, Padawan. I'm going to take one up for a little bit so I can get a feel for how it handles, when I get back, we'll go up together."

"Ok, Master," Jasmine said.

"Come on R2, let's go fly."

* * *

Leia was interested at the prospect of learning Cedric's ideas about what the Republic's Constitution should consist of. He seemed to be a very intelligent and driven young man, someone that she was proud to call her brother. She settled down on the sofa next to her mother. Anakin had taken the rest of the family to Dex's for dinner, and was going to bring the three of them something back. Everyone had been eager to see Shmi, Owen and Beru, and no one had wanted to be around while the three of them were talking politics. Leia looked over the five-page document that Cedric had given her. She sensed something slightly off about her brother, as though he had a great weight on his soul. It felt something like the way that she'd seen Luke just after Bespin. It had to be something bigger than this little project, because, while it was important, he was in his element.

She listened as Cedric started telling them about his idea, since he wanted their input. "The first Article deals with the Executive branch, something that we actually lack."

"I'm the executive branch," Padmé interrupted.

"No, Mom, you don't have power equal to the Senate. You are part of the Senate. The Senate can rid themselves of you with a simple majority on a Vote of No Confidence. I'm talking about someone harder to get rid of, elected separately from the Senate, and with their own duties, office, and power. They won't be heavily involved in the Senate at all."

"So how do we prevent this chief executive from becoming a dictator?"

"Simple. The legislature will have the power to remove them from power, or rather to vote to start the process of that. If the new legislature votes with a three-fifths majority that the chief executive has indeed broken the law, the matter is then regulated to the Supreme Court, where the Constitution dictates that they will immediately hear this case, no matter what else they have planned. They will look at the evidence that is presented by the legislative and the executive branches and render a decision on whether or not the chief executive needs to be removed from office. If they decide that the chief executive needs to be removed from office, then his term ends, and a new election is called."

"Shouldn't there be someone to step in for that interim, or even for more common reasons, like the chief executive dying in office?"

Cedric winced. "Oops, I didn't think about that. Maybe someone like Bail for you?"

"Maybe. I would say that they need to be elected right along with the chief executive." Leia said. "They might not have much to do, but they would be just as important."

Padmé nodded. "You are right, Leia."

"We'll put that in for sure. The powers that the chief executive has are going to be Commander in Chief of all armed forces in the Republic, veto power over the laws the legislature passes, appointment of Supreme Court justices with the consent of the legislature, appointment of Ambassadors to non-Republic worlds, the ability to make treaties, again with the consent of the legislature, the privilege to pardon or commute sentences of convicted criminals, and they will be chiefly responsible for enforcement of the laws passed by the legislature."

"So police will fall under the new Executive branch?" Leia asked, wanting to confirm his intentions.

"Yes, but only on an interstellar scale, as far as direct control goes. CorSec will still be controlled by Corellia's government, that sort of thing."

"I see," both of them said. "You're setting up a federal system?" Padmé asked him.

He nodded. "I'm trying to break up the power as much as possible."

"I don't blame you," Padmé said.

"That's pretty much it for the executive branch."

"I can't think of anything else it needs right this moment, can you, Mom?"

"There are going to be people who will be scared about the chief executive, especially with them having direct control of the military."

"Before you get too bogged down with that, let me tell you what I have planned for the other two branches."

"Fair enough," Leia said as they both nodded for him to continue.

"For the Legislature, I've decided on a tri-cameral legislature. The first body will be a house of representatives, with the number of representatives being dictated by populations for each member system, a representative for every five million citizens, with a guarantee of at least one for each member system. Then there will be a Senate, with equal representation for all member worlds, all member systems receiving three Senators. Last there will be a Jedi Political Council."

"Jedi in Politics? That's not exactly going to go over well."

"I'll get to that. The House of Representatives is the origination point for all spending and taxation legislation. The House of Representatives will elect from among their members one person to be the leader of that body. The representatives themselves will decide upon the day-to-day operations of the House of Representatives.

"The Senate provides the consent for the Chief Executive's appointments of Supreme Court Justices and Ambassadors. The Senate is the body in which impeachment procedures begin. The Senate will elect its leader, and make their rules.

"The Jedi Political Council upon the request of one of the lower houses will overlook legislation and decide if it meets their approval. They will oversee the addition of member worlds. The legislature has the power to override a decision by the Courts. The legislation for such a move has to originate in the Jedi Political Council."

"Huh?" Padmé and Leia asked together. "Start with the acceptance of member worlds." Leia directed him.

"I'm doing this to accept reality. Technically speaking, Hutt space is part of the Republic. But they don't even send a Senator, but they expect the Republic's military to patrol their space for pirates, while at the same time, they ignore almost every law that the Republic has. In my opinion, they are acting as an independent state, and if they truly want to be part of the Republic, they need to start acting like it, otherwise we need to abandon them to their fate."

"Sounds cruel." Padmé said.

"It may be, Mom, but they've done it to themselves."

"So how does a system become a member?"

"I thought that I'd leave the exact procedure up to the Council, but one of the steps would have to be ratification of this Constitution. I'd think that's enough, especially for well established worlds."

"So if a system does not ratify this constitution?"

"They forfeit of all benefits, privileges and protection of the Republic, however, they hold no responsibilities to the Republic."

"What about trade?"

"We will be able to negotiate trade deals with any system that decides to be independent," he explained.

"And exactly why would the legislature want to be able to overturn a legal decision?" Leia asked, going back to the other part of his ideas for this new body.

"Well, some decisions by the Courts are going to affect the legislature. Let me explain what I have in mind for the third branch, and you'll see."

"Ok," she said.

"The Supreme Court is going to have the power, through legal action, to review the decisions of both the Executive branch and the legislature. They take the Constitution, and compare the law or executive order in question, and can declare the action unconstitutional."

"When you say through legal action, you mean that someone has to stand up and say that they don't think a law is constitutional, and bring suit, right?"

"Yes. They will also be the highest court in the Republic, so they will take on hard cases, ones that decide stuff."

"Common law?"

"Yeah. But if the Courts make common law that doesn't work for the Republic, the Legislature can overturn their error, if they can get the chief executive to go along with it. Any two of the three branches can void out the actions of the third one, but they have to cooperate." The door opened, surprising all of them, they'd been so intent on the Constitution.

"I have food for you."

"Thank you, Anakin," Padmé said, getting up and giving him a kiss on the cheek. Cedric's stomach grumbled loudly enough for Leia to hear.

"Just in time by the sound of it, Dad," she said.

"Are you three still hip deep in this stuff?" he asked, gesturing at their abandoned datapads.

"Oh, we aren't even half-way through this, Dad, but the food break will be put to good use," Cedric said.

"I'll distract everyone for a while longer, then. Mom's gotten her quarters at the NFS complex back to her standards. I don't know why she doesn't just stay here."

"Because she's stubborn, Anakin, and she didn't give it all to you."

* * *

Cedric sat down at the table Jasmine had spread herself out at. She didn't have class while he was in his Applied Science class. It was kind of interesting; it taught the methods that hard physics were used in everyday life. He wasn't quite ready for the actual physics class, but understanding how the principles were used was going to help him when he was. "What are you doing?"

"Reading my Political Strategy homework. Again."

"Again?"

"I've learned that the more times I read it the better I understand it."

"Oh. Well, I guess that's ok then." Cedric said. He watched as Orlin made his way over to the table they were sitting at.

"Hi, can I sit here?"

Jasmine nodded, clearing her datapad off the table, putting it on the floor under her chair.

"So, are you coming to class today?" Orlin asked her.

"Yes," she said, excited by the prospect.

"Good. I'd like the chance to be able to watch you fight."

"You aren't going to fight me?"

"Not likely. Master Windu is still trying to sort you into what level you are at within the class. He doesn't pair people up more than once a week anyway."

"But it's been more than a week since I fought you," she pointed out.

"You haven't fought anyone since."

"I fought Cedric. Mara watched."

"Did you win, Spitfire?"

"No, but I made him work for it. He used a move I didn't know against me, but he taught it to me after."

"That's the Spitfire I know," he said ruffling her hair affectionately. Cedric was surprised at how open she was with him, considering she'd only seen him twice in her whole life.

"I heard that your Master took you out in one of those new X-Wings."

"Yeah, he did. It was fun. They're really fast. R2 did most of the flying part for me, but I got to steer."

"You like to fly?"

She nodded. "It was a lot of fun, but I see now that I've got a lot to learn about it before I can do it by myself."

* * *

Anger at all the slights she'd had since Jasmine had been chosen to be Luke's Padawan boiled through Jaedrea. This last one was the worst. She'd come into her parents' quarters and Jasmine was gloating to Julia about how Luke had taken her flying in a brand-spanking new X-Wing. She hadn't even known that they were actually in yet.

Luke and Jasmine were home, finally, but only for two more days, and she meant to confront her sister about her newfound 'powers' before she left again. She waited for Jasmine in the hallway, knowing that she would be alone just after breakfast._ After I finish with her, Luke is next._ Slipping away from Obi-Wan had been easier than she'd thought it would be. She stepped out from the shadows, directing her anger at her younger sister.

"Force, Jae, SHEILD!!!" Jaz said, holding her head in her hands, as though she was in physical pain.

"Why should I?"

"Because that HURTS!"

"Aw, Baby Sister can't handle anyone being mad at her. It hurts her poor little head," she said, saccharine sweet, as she stood over her sister, who'd crumpled into a ball. "I want to see these new skills of yours, and your new blade."

"No." Jasmine whispered.

"What!?! Are you refusing me?"

"I'm in no condition to fight you right now, and I wouldn't even if I was."

"Likely excuse. Don't want to get your butt kicked by your big sister, do you?"

"I doubt that would happen in a fair fight, Jae. But I'm not going to fight you when you're drowning in darkness."

"I AM NOT GOING TO THE DARK SIDE," she said, quiet rage burning through each slowly enunciated word.

"You're right, Jae. You're already there," She said, going into a fetal position.

"Fight me."

"No." she insisted, tears flowing freely from her eyes.

"Fine. I'll make you fight me," she said, yanking Jasmine to her feet with the Force. "And if I win, I get to keep your new toy," she said, but disappointingly, Jasmine's knees buckled under her again.

"No, Jae. I'm not going to fight you," she said, her voice stronger than it had any right to be coming out of such a weakling.

"You will. I'm going to beat you. I'm going to prove to everyone that you're no good."

"Why are you doing this, Jae?" Jasmine asked, having the gall to be confused by her actions.

"Because you're getting everything that you want. I deserve your power."

"Jae listen to yourself. This isn't you."

"Why don't you want to fight me?"

"I'm your sister. Sisters don't do this to each other." Jaz told her.

_Whatever, _she thought as she swung her lightsaber at the crumpled form of her sister, and Jasmine didn't do anything to defend herself. She watched as the blade sliced cleanly through her sister's body, cutting her into pieces. "No," she whispered, and started to run. She'd never run so fast in her life. She ran away from where the rest of the family was. She ran until she found a way down, down into the depths of the Temple, further than Obi-Wan had taken her, further than anyone had been in millennia. She had killed her little sister. Obi-Wan would kill her. Daddy would kill her. Luke would kill her. Mommy would kill her. She'd be dead four times over. There's no way that she could survive four people killing her. Force, she wanted to die for having done it. _Maybe that's what needs to happen. I can't face everyone knowing that she won't be there._

_Jae, no,_ Jasmine's voice, from somewhere, reached her, and she shut out the voice, but she couldn't shut the pain out of her heart.

* * *

**I've got a good deal of chapter 19 already written, so I should maybe have it up Saturday or Sunday. We'll shoot for Sunday night, but I can't make any guarantees. I'm off to see the family types, yay. It should prove interesting, at the very least. I'll be back Saturday, and while I'm gone I'm going to have spotty internet at best, so I'll get review replies back Saturday for the most part.**


	20. Aftermath of Jae's Force Vision

**AN:Wow, everybody really seemed to like this...I'm surprised that I didn't get hate mail from the last chapter.**

Elizabeth:**Read on, fair reader, read on. The proper term for what happened is 'Force Vision,' so that you know...  
**

Teresa:**Qui-Gon isn't going to get a chance to mess about with the Holocron for some chapters, but it will be interesting.  
**

starwarssomeone:**Thanks. **

**I'm glad that everyone likes the parts with Jasmine...Everybody who left a review should have gotten a reply! On with the chapter.  
**

* * *

Chapter 19

Shmi sighed as Anakin paced the living room. "What's wrong?" she asked him again.

"I don't know. That's part of my problem. I should know and I don't."

"Is it about what you were talking about yesterday?"

He waived her off. "No, I don't care about that. The way things were in the other time; it disturbs me," he said with a grimace, "but _this_ has nothing to do with _that_."

"So, will you stop pacing and talk to me? That's why I'm here."

"No, I won't. I will answer whatever questions you have, Mom, but until whatever is wrong resolves itself, I won't be able to sit still."

"Will it resolve itself?"

"Unfortunately. Whatever's happening won't be pretty, but I don't know what it is, so I can't prevent it. I think if I were to interfere, it would be much worse. I don't know what it could be."

"I can think of plenty of things. You were telling me that the whole path to the dark side started with your rescue of me from the Tuskan Raiders."

"I hadn't talked to you, written you, or anything for ten years. I'd even begun to have days where I didn't think about you anymore. It wasn't that I didn't love you, but just that there were so many more things going on."

"They didn't let you write me?"

"No, Mom. When we came back, we convinced Yoda that there was a better way. A more family-oriented way. A way that was less prone to me falling to the dark side. The way of the Skywalkers. Before that, there were no Jedi families; you know that. The twins were the beginning of that, the reason for that.

"When I started having nightmares of your death, Obi-Wan tried to convince me that they were just dreams; Padmé thought that at the very least we should go check them out, so that I would stop having them."

"And you waited a lot longer?"

He sighed, "I'd been having that nightmare for weeks; a month or so I think. It seemed like forever, at least to a nineteen year old."

He sighed, settling down onto the low table in front of her, not really wanting to talk about it, but knowing that it would help the healing that he was doing with his mother there to comfort him. "You died, Mom, in my arms."

"That must have been hard on you, baby," she said as she brushed a stray lock of hair out of his eyes.

He ducked his head, the unruly lock of hair swinging back into its customary spot, not wanting to look her in the eye as he told her the most awful part of it, "It was. Having already been so heavily influenced by Palpatine, I was tempted into the dark side at that moment. I don't really, even now, remember what happened. I remember the rage, how terribly angry I felt at them for having done that to you. I slaughtered the whole village; I walked through it after I was myself again. I brought your body home; we buried you, I was so lost after that."

"I imagine so. Obi-Wan is a smart man, but he does occasionally have his faults."

"Occasionally. He's improving," Anakin said with a slight smile.

"It's not easy to talk about things that both did and didn't happen."

"It doesn't bother me, but it does get somewhat confusing," he said, then stood up and looked at the door, as though he was expecting it to open any second.

* * *

Jasmine watched in horror as Jae actually struck at her, but as the blade bit into her flesh, Jae went white as a sheet, and dropped her lightsaber, she was shaking so badly. She ran, fast and far. Jasmine rolled from her knees to her side. She was hurt, badly hurt. The lightsaber wound on her arm wasn't bad, but the one that cut into her side had gone just deep enough to nick her lung. _LUKE!_ She called through their bond. She felt him devote his attention to her for a moment, long enough to figure out what was going on, and where she was.

She turned her attention to Jae, brushing her thoughts, realizing exactly what she was planning. Horror filled her and she spoke to Jae, _Jae, no,_ she wailed, hoping that she wasn't serious. Jae shut her out without responding; not a good sign.

It wasn't long at all until there seemed to be a thousand people around her, though it didn't seem that Luke was one of them. She needed Luke. Something was wrong with Jae. _Luke, Luke where are you?_ She called out with her mind, since her voice was not working.

"Here, Jasmine," Luke's hand brushed her face.

_Jae, something's wrong with her._

"I know, Padawan," he said shortly. He wouldn't be nice to her if he caught her right then.

_Someone has to go find her. She thinks I'm dead._

"I'll see to it. I'll be down in the Healer's quick as I can," He said, and she sensed his great unhappiness with Jae about what she'd done, but he did acknowledge the need to find her.

_Thank you, Luke. I know you aren't happy with her right now._

Luke laughed, but it wasn't a happy sound. "I'll be there soon," he said with a kiss on her forehead, as the Healers lifted her to a floating gravpad that they were utilizing as a gurney.

* * *

Mara was in Leia's quarters, helping out with the twins. They were both upset about something, and fussy. Leia was agitated too, though she didn't realize it. She was just as upset as the twins were. Mara wondered for a moment what could be bothering the three of them, and if Luke could help her figure it out. She tried to touch his mind, but found it impossible with the level of concentration he was employing. He was also worried, deeply worried about something.

"Something's got Luke worried," she said, still trying to soothe the normally quiet Sabé.

Leia looked at Mara with relief. "I thought I was loosing it."

"No, something's going on. I don't know what, but I intend to find out."

"Let's take these two down to the crèche. I was supposed to have them down there an hour ago anyway."

"Adjusting them to being down there, so they won't fuss as much while you're away?"

"Mmm-hmm. I don't know why it is that our friends are always the ones in the thick of things."

"You attract personalities that attract trouble to themselves."

"And you don't?"

Mara smiled. "I never said that. You asked about your friends."

Leia laughed, as they left to go to the crèche.

* * *

Julia's side blossomed into a sharp pain, and she crumpled. She was on her way to her Flight class and the shortest way from the Temple was to go through the NFS classroom level. _Well, that's not happening today,_ she thought, and closed her eyes, focusing on why she hurt. _Jaz,_ the answer came. Jasmine was the reason that she felt like she couldn't breathe. She centered herself in the Force, dimming her bond to her sisters. By the time she could do more than groan in pain she'd developed quite an audience. She recognized one of her teachers, as she looked over the crowd, her vision still swimming slightly. "I need to go to the Healers, Mr. Amereth."

"Are you going to be all right, Julia?" he asked, sounding quite concerned.

"I'll be ok," she assured him. "Jaedrea, I'm going to kill for this, but I'll be ok."

He nodded; not really understanding what was going on, but it was obvious that something was. "Do you need someone to go with you?"

"That might be a good idea," she agreed reluctantly.

He looked over the crowd, finding one of the Jedi students, "Padawan Halcyon, can you take her?"

"Certainly," he agreed readily, worry about her coming off him just as much as anyone else. They started to head for the door out of the building and everyone dispersed, heading to their classes.

"You take your lightsaber class from Daddy, don't you?" she asked, having watched that class enough to at least recognize him that much.

"I do. Let's get you to the Healer's. Collapsing for no reason isn't good."

"I didn't collapse for no reason. There was a reason."

"Are you going to tell me, then?" he asked as they exited the building.

"No. I don't think I should talk about it. I'll ask Daddy."

"You're a strange one."

"Why do you say that?"

"You aren't like your sister."

"Which sister? I have five."

"Leia."

"Oh, you were in Initiate classes with her weren't you?"

"Yes."

"I think I'm a bit more practical than she is."

He nodded as they entered the Temple proper. "She's more like your mother than you are."

"True enough. Cedric's even worse than she is though."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because he speaks a language that only Leia and Mom understand, most of the time."

"Politics?"

Julia shrugged. "I guess. I don't understand any of it, and even Mom and Leia get lost along the way sometimes."

They arrived at the Healer's door. "Here you are."

"Thank you, Padawan Halcyon."

"It's Corran, please."

She smiled at him, this friend of Luke and Leia's. She sensed what she was waiting for, the Healers bringing Jasmine in. She turned to watch her younger sister come around the corner, and Corran left to go to his class.

* * *

Luke went back to the family's quarters, and found his father. "Jae and Jaz," was all he got out before Anakin was out the door.

"What happened to them, Luke?" Shmi asked, worried at the curt nature of Luke's message.

"Force," Luke said distractedly, not hearing her, and ran his fingers through his hair. Deciding to go to Obi-Wan's he turned and left, Shmi not far behind him.

Obi-Wan was there, fortunately. "Jae and Jaz fought. Jaz is hurt, but she says that Jae thinks she killed her. We need to find her."

Shmi gasped, then said, "Why did they fight?"

"Is that what that was?" Obi-Wan said, apparently not hearing Shmi.

"You felt something?"

"I felt what Jae was projecting through the Force. I told her to stay here, but she didn't listen. I was about to go after her, when she suddenly _chilled._ I haven't been able to feel her since."

"WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH MY GRANDCHILDREN?!" Shmi screamed at the top of her lungs.

"Sorry, Grandmother," Luke said sheepishly, though he was primarily worried about Jaz, "Jasmine was hurt by Jaedrea. Jae turned to the dark side, whether it has consumed her yet, we just don't know yet."

"She's hurt pretty badly?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Yes," he said. He hoped she was not going to be in the Healer's for very long. If she was, she was going to start hating the place.

"Go to her. I think I know where my Padawan is."

* * *

Cedric felt worry, anger, and a deep sadness reverberate through all of his bonds. _Ci, what's wrong?_

_Jasmine's been hurt,_ his twin said, worry and sadness leaking through to him.

He was shocked. She'd only just gotten over the odd illness she'd ended up with after her first contact with a Holocron. _Do you know if Mom knows?_

_I don't think anyone's had a chance…_

_I'll do it. I'm at the Senate anyway._

Confusion hit him. She was really having trouble holding onto her emotions. Jasmine must have been hurt pretty badly. He was getting echoes of it off the other triplets, as well as Celia. _What are you doing there?_

_I wanted Bail's opinion on something. I'll be there with Mom shortly, _he said to her, and closed the connection in his mind. He disliked having everyone leaking into his head. He excused himself from Bail's secretary, a rather plump Alderaanian woman with a kind smile, and headed off to his mother's office.

"Good morning, Arrana," he said as he entered. "I need to speak with my mother. It's quite urgent."

"She's in delicate negotiations with a couple of the Outer Rim Senators."

"This is more important," he said, cursing whatever twist of fate had declared that Jaz get hurt _this _morning.

"It can't wait?" she asked hopefully. She knew as well as he that there was little that she would accept this kind of interruption for.

"No. How long has she been in this meeting anyway?"

"Most of the morning."

"It's time for her to go home anyway."

"I daren't interrupt her. You know how she gets."

"It's doctor's orders that she not be here more than half a day a week anyway. I will see to it." Cedric told her with more confidence and authority than he felt he actually possessed. He took a deep breath, steeling himself against the Senator's fury, which would be directed at him once he entered.

He opened the door, and as he expected, all eyes in the room turned to him. "Madame Chancellor," he began formally, with a small bow to her. No need to make matters worse for her with these two senators. "I am sorry for the interruption, but there is a matter requiring your immediate attention."

She considered for a moment, then signaled him closer. He walked over to her side, and crouched down so that he was eye-level to her. "What's going on?" she whispered, only loud enough for him to hear if he used the Force to enhance his hearing.

"Jasmine has been hurt. I don't know any details, but I think it's pretty bad."

Alarm crossed her face, but was quickly enough pressed behind the mask she wore of polite indifference, her political game face. "How long ago did this happen?"

He looked down for a second, then back at her. "I've been getting weird reverb from the triplets all morning. I thought that they were fighting amongst themselves. I don't know more."

She nodded acceptance of his explanation. "I am sorry, but we will have to continue this another day," she said to the Senators. The change in the tone of her voice was apparently enough to convince them that she wasn't in a mood to debate the subject.

"Typical, interfering Jedi," one of the Senator's said, his voice bitter.

"Excuse me, sir. This is not a Jedi matter, but a family matter. I trust that you aren't suggesting the Chancellor abandon her family just because it inconveniences you and your colleague?" Cedric said coldly, his voice far more adult than his thirteen years, with a hint of his father's edge. The reptilian senators wilted under its pressure. "That is what I thought. Chancellor?" he said, offering his mother his arm, so that he could both take her with him, and protect her.

He escorted her through the halls of the Senate to where he'd parked his speeder, and they headed the short distance to the Temple.

* * *

Celia watched her Master as she treated Jasmine for a nasty lightsaber burn. She wasn't going to be any help, not for Jasmine, not right now at least. She held Julia's hand, and they waited. Julia stood there watching them trying to save her in silence. She sensed Julia's anger that someone, _Jaedrea_, had done this; her fear that she would actually lose Jasmine; and her own feeling of helplessness at the whole situation. Celia couldn't blame her. She felt the same way.

"What are they doing to her?"

"Sedating her. Master Allie wants to try to fix her, but first, she wants Jasmine asleep so she doesn't feel anything." Luke came up behind the two of them. "I know you want to be in there Luke, but Master Allie will need you to be out of the way, and it's hard to be out of the way."

"Alright," he said calmly, putting one hand on each of their shoulders. "How are you two holding up?"

"As well as can be expected, I think, under the circumstances," Celia answered.

"I'll be ok if she's ok, Luke." Julia said. "Jae, I don't know."

He knelt down to be eye-level with Julia. "Jae is your sister. Whatever happened, we will work together as a family to make sure that Jae can deal with this in the right way. I'm not sure what that will be, but we've got to be willing to help her. The last thing she needs is for all of us to turn our backs on her."

"But she attacked Jaz," Julia said, her voice quavering, near tears. Celia didn't know quite why she hadn't already broken down.

"I know, and we need to find out why before we can help her become herself again."

"I don't know if I can forgive her," She said, reading between the lines of what he was saying.

"We will help you." Celia said. "I want to know why this happened, but if I don't forgive her, that will give her even more reason to follow the path of the dark side."

"This is so mixed up," Julia said, somewhat frustrated. "But I understand what you are saying. I'm not sure I can actually do it with my heart."

"It's going to take a long time to get everything set right again, Jul," Luke said. "That means you as well as both of them."

Julia nodded. "I hope you're right, Luke. I hope everything can be ok again."

* * *

Jaedrea slowed once she got to the room before the one where she met Vader. Hopefully he wouldn't be here again. She didn't want to meet the Sith Lord again. She carefully turned the knob on the door, listening for his telltale breathing, but she didn't hear him. She sighed in relief, and headed into the room, looking for a way to get further down, into the very underbelly of Coruscant. She didn't go very quickly, but she doggedly kept going down. Movement kept her thoughts busy, which was fortunate, because if she stopped to think, she would start crying, and she couldn't afford that. She didn't know what she was looking for, but she knew it was down here. She reached down for her lightsaber, as she went down another dark staircase, only to realize that she must have dropped it, after she'd killed Jasmine.

A tear rolled out of her eye at the thought, but she kept going. _Jae, what are you doing now?_ She heard Jasmine's voice in her head. That did it. She burst into tears, not able to contain herself anymore. _Jae, snap out of it._ Jasmine's voice rang through her head as she sat down on the bottom step.

"Jazzy, I'm sorry."

_I know. Come home, and everything will be alright._

"No, it won't, it'll never be right again. You won't be there."

_Course I will. I'll always be here._ Jasmine's voice sounded far away, peaceful. She began to cry harder, and shut the voice out. She couldn't take Jasmine's ghost talking to her.

_That proves it doesn't it?_ She asked herself. Becoming a Force Ghost was a really hard power to master, even with the Living Force, and nearly impossible without it.

Jae dried her tears on her sleeve, and went into the next room. There were pools here, or at least what used to be pools. This was what had been the Room of a Thousand Fountains for the Temple that the current one was built on top of. She wandered around, looking at the place that once held peace, now only held decay, death. She thought about it for a few minutes. This was the perfect place for her to die. A place that would never hold peace again, for a heart that would never have peace again.


	21. Aftershocks

**AN: Sorry this is a short chapter but to maintain its dramatic integrity, (i.e. leave a cliffie) we had to cut it short.**

* * *

Chapter 20

Celia hurried into the room where Jasmine was, followed by Luke. "She should stabilize over the next few hours, Luke," her Master said, "I've put bacta patches on the burns on her arm, but until we can drain the blood that has accumulated in her lung, there is little more we can do about that injury. I want Celia to monitor her, and the rest of the family can come see her, but just one or two at a time. I want to keep her sedated for a while, so she won't be waking up any time soon."

Luke nodded. "I'm not looking forward to a conversation of 'what happened.'"

"I don't envy you that task." Stass said to him sympathetically.

"Thank you," he said, heartfelt, before she left.

"She'll be ok, Luke," Celia said.

"I know. It's just that I don't like having to watch her suffer, when it's something we should have seen coming."

"We don't always know everything, big brother."

"I know but sometimes it would help if we knew just a little more."

* * *

Liz was holding Jydan when Leia and Mara walked in to the crèche with Kitster and Sabé. "Hi, sis," Leia said, "Who's this little guy?"

"Jydan. He seems to be cutting another tooth."

"I wish I could say that was all that's wrong with the twins. Something's happened, and we are going to go hunt down Luke and find out what."

"The twins are upset because you are upset," Liz said.

Leia acknowledged her words with a nod. "Well, them being upset doesn't make it easy to calm down."

Liz laughed. "True enough, and I would be right there with you if I didn't have to be here. I'll find out soon enough what's going on once I get off. It's something really bad. I don't know if I want to know."

"I don't say that I want to know," Leia said as she set Kitster into one of the cradles, "but I need to know what's going on."

"I know." Liz said, having put Jydan down to take Sabé from Mara. "Hopefully these two will quiet down for Aunt Liz."

"I hope so," Leia said.

* * *

Leia entered the Healer's hall with Mara, and found her grandmother almost immediately. "Grandma Shmi! Do you know what's going on?"

"Yes, dear. This will take a little time to explain, and a lot of time to heal. Let's go see if Luke will talk to us," she said.

They went to the small room, which held Jasmine and Luke, as Celia left to go somewhere, probably to check with her Master.

"How is she?" Leia asked as Mara went over to Luke and put her arms around him, which he seemed to accept gratefully.

"Not good, the arm is pretty superficial, but the chest wound is deep. According to Master Allie it's going to be touch and go for a little while. We can't use bacta on her since the lungs are involved."

Leia gasped, _who would do such a thing to sweet little Jasmine?_ she wondered.

Seemingly sensing her unspoken question, Luke said, "Jaedrea did this. Somehow she got wrapped up in the dark side. Dad and Ben are looking for her now."

"How did she get so wrapped up in that?" Leia asked, aghast.

"We don't really know. Hopefully Jae is in her right mind when they find her and she can shed some light on this mystery."

"You seem to think there was an outside force behind it," Leia asked, going with her instincts.

For the first time since she had walked in Luke smiled, small, sad, but real. "I thought you were having trouble with the Force," he said, a hint of amusement in his voice.

"Huh?" Leia said confused.

"We'll talk about it later, right now we've got a Krayt Dragon nesting in the crops and we have to get it out."

Leia knew her brother was worried; he NEVER used farming metaphors unless he was.

* * *

Padmé entered the Healer's and glanced around, searching for a familiar face, but she didn't find any, although she'd missed Julia, who came up beside her, and so she followed Cedric, who was heading towards his twin.

"Mommy, Jaz is hurt." Julia said.

"I know, baby."

"Jae did it," she informed her sadly.

"What did she do?"

"She pulled her lightsaber on Jaz."

"So she has a lightsaber burn?"

"Yeah. Come on, Celia and Luke can tell you better," she said, pulling on Padmé's hand, half-dragging her into the room that contained Jasmine, Luke and Celia.

"Hi, Mom," Luke said, standing to give her a hug, then resuming his seat near the head of the bed. Celia was doing something with some of the equipment that was beeping quietly on the far wall.

She took a moment then to look at her youngest daughter. Her arms were placed over the sheet, which was pulled up to her chest. There were bandages on her right arm, and her eyes were closed above the mask they had placed on her—to help her breathe, she assumed. "What happened? Julia told me it was a lightsaber burn?"

Luke nodded sadly, "to the chest. It punctured a lung."

"She's going to be ok?"

"We're keeping her sedated, otherwise she would probably be awake," Celia said. When Padmé nodded, she continued, "she'll be well enough tomorrow to be awake and she'll probably be home in three days."

"Her arm is bandaged up, too."

"More burns. Those should heal within that time, and probably won't even scar."

Padmé didn't know what to say. "She's strong, Mom," Luke said to her.

She nodded. "What about Jae?"

"We don't know yet. Dad and Obi-Wan are trying to find her."

"So is she hurt?"

Luke shook his head. "I don't think so. Jasmine didn't say anything about it."

* * *

Celia left Jasmine in the care of Luke and their mother so she could go talk to Cedric, but she didn't go far. "Is she going to be ok?" he asked her.

"She should be fine."

"What happened?"

"Lightsaber wound. It's pretty bad," she said, tears welling up in her eyes.

He wrapped his lanky arms around her, letting her get out the emotions she been bottling up inside herself since the whole thing started.

Surprised by his sudden caring, she let him give her a hug, the first she'd had from him in over a year. She cried for some time, holding on to her twin for dear life. Once she was able to speak, Cedric, always the calm one, asked, "Who did it?"

"Jaedrea."

"How did that happen? They aren't in the same lightsaber class."

"It wasn't in lightsaber class, and we don't have many details, but Luke is afraid that she's turned to the dark side."

"He actually said that?" he asked in shock.

"No, he's so worried about Jaz that he's not shielding very well."

"It's that bad?"

"It's bad, but she's going to pull through."

"Is that your professional medical opinion, Doctor?"

"Don't tease me like that, and yes."

* * *

Jae sat down at the edge of the deepest pool in the room, and though it held clear water, a good deal of sediment had accumulated at the bottom, leaving only about enough water to completely submerge herself, if she were standing. The pool had been at least five meters deep when it had been an active pool, she could sense that much through the Force. _It's cowardly, not to face what happened,_ the thought hit her like a ton of bricks. _If Jaz is really gone, what would losing me do to the rest of the family? I have to go back, even if they kill me, I have to go back._ She tried reaching out to find Jas, but couldn't and when she reached out in desperation to Julia, she was so wrapped up in grief that she couldn't get Jul's attention.

She sighed, wrapping her hand instinctively around the cool cylinder at her side, _Wait—I dropped my lightsaber in the Temple._ She set it back down, trying to rub the oily feeling off her hands, but there was nothing for her to get rid of. The feeling persisted, though her eyes were telling her there was nothing. She finally picked the lightsaber again, but the slimy, oily, icky feeling didn't go away. In fact, the more she handled her lightsaber, the worse the feeling got. It started crawling up her arm, like a liquid insect. She put her arm in the pool trying to rinse it off, it seemed to work and she pulled her arm out, however as soon as she did the icky, slimy feeling returned right where it had been. She put her arm back in the pool and shook it violently. While she was doing this she lost her footing and fell into the pool head first, banging her head on a half buried ornament knocking her cold, face first in the pool.

* * *

Jasmine woke with a start. Her head hurt for some reason, and she felt wet. She screamed as she suddenly felt her lungs filling with water. Then Luke and Mommy were there, comforting her.

"What is it, Little Bit?" Luke asked. As he asked the question, Jasmine calmed down a little; what was happening wasn't happening to her, but to Jae.

"Jae hit her head, she's drowning! We have to help her!" She started to move to get up, but Luke and her mother firmly, yet gently held her in place.

"Daddy and Obi-Wan are looking for her, dear heart," her mother said.

Jasmine started crying then and said through her tears, "I think its too late…I can't feel her anymore." She didn't notice the shocked and worried look Luke and her mother gave each other.

* * *

Obi-Wan worked to keep pace with Anakin. He had caught up, and Anakin was pressing a pace that even he would find grueling, once he stopped. Not that he thought they didn't need to be going as fast as they possibly could. They entered yet another level. "She's here," Anakin said, with little emotion reaching his face or his voice, but his Force signature screamed with the turmoil he was feeling.

Obi-Wan reached out along his bond with her. Anakin was right. "This way." Anakin nodded. Something was desperately wrong with her. They both feared for her life, she was distraught enough, maybe and rash enough, to try something stupid.

They moved into the room, looking around. "Is this like the Room of a Thousand Fountains?"

"Probably."

"Obi-Wan," Anakin said, fear making his voice tremble, as they stepped close enough to a large pool of water to see to the very shallow bottom.

He knelt to one side of the pool, picking up Jaedrea by the shoulder, and felt Anakin doing the same, and they pulled her out. She wasn't breathing.


	22. At the Healer's

* * *

Chapter 21

Anakin turned Jae over, smacking her hard, square on the middle of her back, and water came spewing out of her. He did it a couple more times, and she started coughing weakly after the third blow. She wasn't awake, but she was alive. He cradled her to his chest, heading back the way that they'd come. "Why, why do you have to be like me?"

"I don't think she can hear you, Anakin," Obi-Wan pointed out, but just so that he had something to say. Obi-Wan was just as afraid for her as he was.

"I don't care. I could see me having done something this over the top, but not Padmé. She should have been more like her mother, it would have saved her a lot of pain over the last couple of months."

"Her or you?"

"Both. Everyone, actually."

"Yes. However, everyone has to make their own mistakes. The hardest part about being a parent is letting them."

"Does that mean that they have to practically kill themselves before they learn the lesson?"

"Sometimes. The job of the parent is to ensure that they survive. It is only through trial that we grow."

"Can I kill her when she's better?"

"No, I get to do that."

"You take all the fun out of life, Master."

* * *

Lando had been communicating with Lobot on a small scale, hiding messages within his daily communications. With each successful message, he'd gotten a bit bolder, and so now he'd told Lobot to do something that he had about half a chance of regretting later. Lobot had let in the best data-mining programs that had of late tried to enter Cloud City's central computer. It was a gamble because letting them in meant not restricting them in any way. But if the people on the other end of them interfered with Tann's Operations, she would kill them, and he would be rid of two problems: smart pirates, and Tann's supply chain. It would only be a short time that this could go on, but he needed to distract her so he could begin implementing the next phase of his resistance, preparing the city for war. He had Lobot overseeing the routine maintenance and alteration of the city's internal automated defenses. They were being switched to a high-powered ion blast. Fortunately, the droids had done the really hard part of getting Cloud City ready to repel capital ships. They even improved the city's defensive shield. The only thing Lando had to do was have Lobot ensure that those systems would be under his control when the time came. One other piece of luck that Lando had was that Lobot had taken the liberty of issuing hip pocket orders to Cloud City's security personnel. Everyone knew what they were supposed to do and where they were supposed to be when all of the Nine Corellian Hells broke loose. He just hoped that after it was all said and done, Cloud City would still be alive.

* * *

Julia ran up to her father, wrapping herself around him, hardly allowing him time to give Jae over to the Healers. He picked her up and held her the way he usually held Jasmine, wrapped around his trunk. She cried, really cried, for the first time that day. She'd been strong, holding in her tears, so Jasmine wouldn't worry, but it was hard to be strong for herself. "Why, Daddy?" she asked finally, after she'd cried herself hoarse.

"Shh, It's going to be ok, Jul."

"But why?"

"I don't really know, baby. The dark side has a way of twisting everything until you can't tell up from down anymore," he said as he sat in a chair, watching over Jae.

"She really went to the dark side?" she asked him, lifting her face from where she'd buried it in his chest.

"I don't know. We'll have to wait for both of them to wake up before we can see for sure." She noticed finally that his face was stained with tears, too.

"Is Jasmie going to be ok?"

"I think so. Luke says she's hurting from what Jae did to her, but he thinks she'll heal."

"What do you mean?"

"For some reason, Jaz hasn't learned to shield yet. Luke thinks it's tied in to the fact that she's so sensitive to everyone."

"You're double-talking Luke aren't you?" she asked, a slight accusation in her tone.

"Of course. I'm in here with Jae, but I'm just as worried about Jasmine. If I were in there, I'd be double-talking with Obi-Wan."

She settled down, "So Jae hurt her how? Besides the lightsaber."

"She wasn't prepared for the absolute rage that Jae was projecting at her. I suppose you could call it a psychic assault."

"What about Jae? I don't see anything wrong with her."

"Jasmine said that Jae thought she'd actually killed her. That's why she ran away. Jaz said she hit her head. This is just a horrible accident."

"So, what happened, Daddy?" she asked, both scared and curious about the answer.

"We found her in a pool of water."

"She wasn't breathing anymore was she?"

"No, baby, she wasn't."

"You brought her back, though. Jasmine would say she's going to be ok now," she said, trying to convince herself, still shaking from what had nearly happened.

"Maybe. We still have to figure out what to do with her."

"Can we go see Jaz? I don't want to be here with her right now."

"Are you going to be ok, Julia?" he asked, suddenly concerned.

"I'm not going to do what Jae did, Daddy. I want to understand, but until I do, I'm upset that I almost lost both my sisters to her stupidity."

He nodded, relieved. "Alright, Jul. I can certainly understand that." He held her tighter, standing up. "Obi-Wan."

The older Master looked up at the two of them. "Anakin, I don't know what to say about this."

"It's not your fault, Obi-Wan. She wouldn't listen to anyone when we were telling her the truth of what was going on. I'm going to go see about Jasmine."

Obi-Wan nodded. "I'll stay here."

"I was counting on that. Let me know if there's any change."

"I will." Obi-Wan agreed, and they left, going into another small room.

Julia felt tired as she looked at her baby sister. "She's so pale, Daddy," she said, fear tingeing her words.

"She lost some blood before anyone could get to her." Luke said, having not left her side since he'd been let inside.

"What happened?"

He uncovered her right side, and Julia gasped at all the bandaging that the healers had done. "It's not really that bad, Jul. Most of this is just keeping everything in place."

She looked again, seeing a tube coming out of her side, with red stuff inside it. "What's that for?"

"She got some blood in her lung, and they have to drain it before they can patch her up."

"She's asleep?"

"They gave her anesthetic while they were putting the chest tube in. She should wake up tomorrow, barring any more disasters."

"Who's overseeing her care?" their father asked.

"Master Allie."

Anakin nodded, "How is she doing?"

"Other than waking up when Jae bumped her head, fine."

Julia was close to tears again. "I can't feel them, either of them. I'm scared, Daddy."

"They're both unconscious. It's harder to feel someone when they are. It's not anything like when they are asleep. Touch her, and maybe that will help, but will be like her mind is very far away."

Julia reached over, picking up Jasmine's limp hand and concentrating for a moment, and then shuddered as relief washed over her. It had been just as he'd said.

* * *

Leia was sitting with Mara and Shmi when Cedric walked into the room. "Jasmine's awake," he announced. They'd retreated to a nearby empty room, to stay out of the way, since Master Allie had limited the number of people who could be in with Jasmine.

"Can we go see her?" Shmi asked.

"I thought the were keeping her sedated." Mara said, concerned.

"Celia doesn't think anyone else needs to be in there. She woke up talking about Jae," he closed his eyes, leaning his ever taller frame against the wall.

"What about Jae?" Mara asked Cedric, but Leia found, with surprise, that she already knew.

"She hit her head, and something about water," she said, having finally figured out how to open herself to Luke's thoughts.

"Yes," Cedric said sadly, "Jasmine seems of the opinion that Jae may be gone. Celia says that if they can find her in time, there's hope."

"What can we do?" Shmi asked.

"Wait," Cedric answered her. "That's all we can do right now. Mom's coming."

Shmi got up to meet her. "Everything will turn out, dear," she said, putting her arms around Padmé as she started to cry.

It was quite some time before Shmi, with Leia and Mara's help, could bet Padmé quieted down.

"Anakin walked in with Julia then. "She's cried herself out, Mom. Do you mind taking her home?"

"I'll take her, Dad," Leia said, "but I've got to stop by and pick up the twins," She added as he handed her the sleepy nine-year-old.

"I'll go along, then. I can stay with her in your quarters, Anakin." Shmi declared.

"Thanks, Grandma," Leia said.

* * *

Sev'rance Tann looked over the copies of the inventory manifests for the incoming ships Calrissian was supposed to be sending out after she'd left. One of the ships—one with critical parts she needed for the Death Star—was late. The droid captain of a ship carrying less critical supplies had been under the impression that the ship had left on time, and had not been reporting any mechanical problems. It was troubling, to say the least.

"I am going to check to see why that ship didn't get here," Tann said to Star Marshall Tarkin.

"And you are leaving me in charge, I take it."

"You are competent enough."

"I am glad you thing so. You didn't seem that confident in my abilities when you first took over."

"Your abilities I have never questioned. Your loyalties, I did at first doubt. But you are still very replaceable."

"If assassination is the way that the Sith choose their leaders, I withdraw any and all objections. However, I do not promise not to back a potential successor."

"Very good. You finally understand. Just remember the price for failure."

"That which does not kill me only makes me stronger."

"That is the way of things. I leave you to your job."

* * *

Jae's eyes fluttered for a few seconds before she could keep them open. "Daddy?" she asked, seeing him there, though he swam slightly in her vision.

He squeezed her hand. "You gave us all quite a scare, young lady. What do you remember?" He sounded worried, and she closed her eyes again, shutting out the swimming images.

She thought about the question. "Everything's kinda fuzzy, Daddy." She yawned. "Where's Master Obi-Wan?"

"I made him go home. He needs to sleep; I can do it a little later when I actually will sleep. What's the last thing you remember?" he prompted again.

She thought very hard through a couple more yawns. "I was with Obi-Wan on the way to Ilum. Did something happen there?" He looked worried as he started to come more into focus and the room stopped swimming. "Did something happen, Daddy?"

"No, baby, nothing happened on Ilum. But that was only a couple of days after your birthday, and now it's a few days past Luke and Leia's, though. Are you sure you don't remember anything else, anything since then?"

After a few minutes of searching her memories, she admitted, "No, I don't even remember the rest of that day, just through lunch, I think."

"Alright. Get some sleep. Everyone's been worried sick about you."

"I'm sorry, Daddy. I didn't mean to make everybody worry. What happened?"

"We nearly lost you, but that's a story for another day. Master Allie says you'll be fine."

"Is Jasmine ok?"

"Why do you ask?" he asked, suddenly much more tense.

"She worries too much, Daddy. I don't want her in here with me, sick because she's all worried about me." There was something else, elusive, but she couldn't put her finger on it. _There is something wrong with my sister_.

"She's fine. I don't think she wants to be in here, any more than you do."

"Ok, Daddy," she said, relief flooding through her, and the tightness around her heart eased. _He wouldn't lie to me, not about something this important._

"Are you sure there's nothing else?"

"I don't know. Jazzy was hurt," she said, knowing the truth of it.

"I can't hide anything from you, can I? She's going to be fine."

"What happened?"

"It's not important right now. We almost lost both of you, and it's shaken everyone up quite a bit."

She sighed. Daddy wasn't going to spill about how Jasmine had been hurt. At least he wasn't mad at her, although what reason he would have to be mad at her, she didn't know. "Can I talk to her?"

"She's asleep. Like you should be."

"It's been three months since my birthday?"

"Yes, Jaedrea. It's been three months."

"How did I lose three months?"

"I don't know. You've been fine until this morning."

"Has Julia gotten a Master?"

"Yes, they were planning to go to Ilum in a few days."

"This isn't going to interrupt that, is it?" she asked, "I don't want Julia to have to wait because I'm in the Healer's."

"I don't think this is going to affect their plans. Jasmine should be up and about tomorrow, and the two of you should be released in the next couple of days. Jasmine's going to have some work to catch up on, but she's really learning to throw herself into things," he said, smiling, the first smile she'd seen from him since she'd woken. He was usually so easy going, it was weird.

"I'm sorry I made you sad, Daddy."

"It's not entirely your fault, Jae-girl."

"I'm not your little girl anymore, Daddy. I'm a Padawan in my own right now," she said defiantly.

Celia came in then. "Awake are we?" she asked timidly.

"Daddy said it's after Luke and Leia's birthday," she said, hoping this was just one of Daddy's practical jokes. You could never tell with him.

"Yes, that was three days ago," Celia said with no hesitation.

She burst into tears, curling into a ball on the bed. Daddy stroked her hair, and he talked to Celia.

"She doesn't seem to remember anything past going to Ilum with Obi-Wan three days after her birthday."

"I'll discuss this with Master Allie in the morning. Head injuries can sometimes cause degrees of amnesia, although in this case, it might be a blessing."

"What do you mean, Ci?" she asked through her sniffles.

"What do I mean, what?"

"It might be better if I don't remember what happened?"

"It might. I don't think that will stop you from trying, little sister, but I'll discuss it with my Master, and we will talk with Obi-Wan about it. It may or may not be permanent, and you might wake up in the morning and remember everything from before, but not remember this. Head injuries can be tricky and cause strange things."

"So I hit my head?"

"Among other things. You also fell into a pool of water, shorting out your lightsaber," he said, but he wasn't smiling.

"I haven't even seen my lightsaber."

"Well, I'll inform Obi-Wan, and he might bring it by. I still have to fix it. After you go to sleep," he said sharply.

"Yes, Daddy," she said, closing her eyes, and faster than she would have thought possible, being watched over by her father, she fell back to sleep.


	23. Jaedrea and Jasmine

**AN:Well, so 200 reviews! Does a happy dance!**

**Teresa: Julia is quite busy not-dealing with what happened...though that will change next chapter.**

**LokiGirl: Is it more evil for Jaedrea to remember every detail, or for her to not even know what it is that happened, and then only remember bits and pieces, like some terrible nightmare? She'll eventually remember at least some of what went on, I promise.  
**

* * *

Chapter 22

Anakin was hopeful as they talked with Master Allie early on in the morning, before Jaedrea was awake. Padmé was sitting with her while he and Obi-Wan were talking with the Master Healer.

"We don't know what caused it. The head injury she sustained shouldn't have caused any sort of memory loss. If I were to guess, I would say that it was emotional trauma, rather than physical that caused this. She's forgetting everything related to her fall to the dark side, which apparently reaches back further than any of us realized."

"So something happened on Ilum?" Obi-Wan asked.

"That would be my theory," she told them. "What happened may start to manifest as nightmares, or she may be able to deal with it better later on, and the memories will return on their own. I can't tell you what is going to happen."

"How long must she remain here?"

"At least another day or so. I want to continue to monitor her for at least tomorrow, with the hit on her head, and her inhaling all that water. If she doesn't manifest any further problems, I'll release her the next morning."

"And Jasmine?" Luke asked, walking into the room.

"She's resilient, and responding very well to treatment. We are going to take the chest tube out this morning, and as long as she's not very active, she can be up and about, and we'll get her patched up in the mean time."

* * *

When Jaedrea woke next, Jasmine was there, curled up on Obi-Wan's lap. 

"Jaz, don't worry about me. Daddy says you were worried," she said, struggling against the sheets to sit up on the edge of the bed.

"I am," she said, strangely calm and confident. She'd never seen Jasmine actually seem confident. Something had happened, and Jasmine was different now. Another indication that three months she didn't remember had passed.

"Don't. Master Allie says that I'm going to be fine."

Obi-Wan spoke up then, "Jaedrea, do you remember anymore than you did yesterday?"

She searched through her memories, double-checking. "No, Master. I can't remember anything past the day we should have arrived on Ilum."

"It's probably just as well, then. Something that you've forgotten, which will be quite obvious the next time that you see your mother is that she is pregnant."

Jae's eyes went wide with shock, "Again!?!" she squealed.

"A boy and a girl." Jasmine said, confirming the truth of it, still talking in the strange tone that she'd adopted sometime in the last three months.

"We're going to have a little brother?"

"Yes."

"Wow. That's cool." Jae watched as a pained look crossed Jasmine's face as she shifted in Obi-Wan's lap. "Jazzy, what's wrong?"

"It's nothing, Jae. I was hurt the same time you were," Jasmine said, and it was then that Jae noticed the bandages on Jasmine's right arm.

"Oh. What happened?" she said, touching the bandages, but Jasmine jerked her arm away like she'd been burnt.

She buried her face into Obi-Wan's chest. "I don't want to talk about it, Jae."

"Ok, Jaz, it's not that important. You're going to be ok, that's what matters," Jae said quickly. She didn't like the way her sister was acting about her injury. It made her queasy inside.

Jasmine breathed a sigh of relief. She looked up, as though she were listening to something. "I need to go, I'm sorry, Jae."

"Where are you going?"

"Cedric and Orlin are coming after me. My Master needs me."

"You got chosen, Jaz, that's great!" she said enthusiastically. She was genuinely glad that her sister had found her Master.

Jae couldn't help but notice a look passing between the two of them. "Oh, I guess I forgot that, too," she said, crestfallen.

The door opened, and a boy stepped in, and Cedric. "Come on, Spitfire, you're hereby summoned for whatever nefarious activities your Master has planned for you that I can't know about," the boy, Orlin, she'd said his name was, told her, and the lopsided grin that he gave her made Jasmine giggle. She giggled at the boy, who scooped her up in his arms, which only seemed to make her giggle more, and he carried her out of the room, and as they left, Cedric started talking about something.

"I missed a lot in the last couple of months. That couldn't have been my baby sister, _giggling_ at a boy?" she asked, startled by the very deep changes in Jasmine.

"Orlin has his way of getting around her shyness, much as her Master does."

"She's changed so much, Master."

"She has, I agree," he said, but he didn't elaborate.

"Why doesn't anyone want to talk to me?"

"I don't know what you mean, Padawan."

"Like Jasmine didn't want to talk about how she got hurt, and you aren't being very talkative."

"I am being quite talkative, Padawan. Just not about what you want to know about. I don't think you are quite ready for that discussion, anyway."

"Why can't Jasmine walk, Master?"

"She can, but the Healers don't want her to be moving around a lot, she took a nasty blow to her ribcage, and it's not healed quite well enough yet for her to be putting much stress on it."

"Did he call her Spitfire?"

"She's made quite an impression on him apparently."

"How does she know him? He's like Cedric's age."

"He's in her Lightsaber class."

"Oh. Is she in a Forms Class, like I am?"

"I imagine she will be, but he's in her dueling class. I believe that she caused him a great deal of pain the first time she dueled with him."

Jae nodded and abandoned the subject. She had a feeling she didn't want to know much more than that. "I'm sorry that I had you worried, Master."

"Why do you say that?"

"I've been here for a while, to all appearances. I'm worried about me. I can't remember three whole months. You have to have been worried."

"You're right Jae, I've been very worried about you. This is your second day here. It's my job to worry about you, but if you feel up to it, you have a good bit of homework to catch up on."

She groaned. It was just like Obi-Wan to remind her of her duties. She yawned, "I guess I can start it," she said, trying to rearrange herself so that she was more comfortable.

"Why does her Master need her?"

"Some project he's working on, probably. Your father promised something that he now can't do, so it will fall to several others, including Jasmine's Master, to complete."

"He's doing something for Daddy?"

"Yes. I don't quite know all the details. But you have other things to worry about."

"Like what?"

"Theories of Flight, you will need to write a three-page paper on the reasons for the various equipment in the cockpit," he said, holding a datadisc up.

She groaned. "Can't I just go to class?"

"Not for a few days, at least. I don't know yet when you will be going back to school."

"Why not, Master?"

"I have to evaluate some things. It's not something we need to talk about right now."

"Right, all that stuff I'm better off not remembering."

He grimaced, but didn't contradict her. "You have a ten-page paper on the philosophy of the Soresu, which you are only half-way through. Master Feranth wants that by the end of the week."

"I don't even know what day of the week it is."

"First Day."

"By the end of the week?" she asked, putting the disc he offered her into the reader that he gave her, examining it. "Who wrote this Bantha Poodoo?"

"You did."

"I don't think I was in my right mind when I did, if I did. I know better than this," she said uncertainly as she read what apparently she herself had written. _Is this why I shouldn't remember what was going on? Was I completely out of my mind?_

"Well, then I suggest that you start over fresh."

"I'm going to have to, but at least there's research on the disc," she declared, pulling the datadisc, and setting it aside. "What else?"

"Math homework, Galactic history homework, Other uses of the Force homework," he said, handing her three more discs. "And here are your study materials for those classes," he told her as he dumped yet more discs on the table by her bed.

"I have five classes to keep caught up on?" she asked, slightly outraged.

"Well, if you like we can drop your other uses of the Force class, and you can take it later. It was something we discussed, and you thought it would be interesting."

"I think I'd rather do it later," she said, "I don't know how to do any of this math," she said as she examined the appropriate disc.

"Alright. I'll take this back, and we can get you dropped from that class, and see how the rest of the week goes."

"Yes, Master."

* * *

Luke looked over the plans for their trip to Bespin. It hadn't been too hard to find the layout of Cloud City in the Archive. He'd sent Orlin and Cedric to fetch Jasmine. Jaedrea was finally awake, and Jasmine was becoming quite distressed about something. _Your brother and _friend_ just got home, Padawan. I'm sending them after you. _

_Yes, Master,_ she responded, and her level of stress went down considerably.

With Jae in the state she was in, there was no question of Anakin going anymore; Jae needed him here. The map of the city showed it's huge size, much larger than the Temple complex, but droids were easy kills. The only problems that anyone thought they would encounter were either a massive amount of droids, or one of the leaders, Tann or Grievous.

The two teenage boys returned with Jasmine, who was by no means unhappy about their presence. "Alright, you two, unless you want to help plan a raid on Cloud City, you can get out of here."

"I'll stay," Orlin said. "It sounds much more interesting than whatever Master Territh would have me doing."

"And what would that be?" Anakin asked him.

He shrugged. "Meditating again. I don't meditate enough, according to him."

"And you're what, fourteen?"

"Yes, sir."

"No one meditates enough at fourteen. Make sure that it's ok, and you can stay."

He went over to the comm station, and called his own residence. "Master, I was helping my friend Cedric, and his brother has some incredibly fascinating things that he's planning. May I help?"

"I don't suppose it will do you any harm. Ensure that you are home by eight, you still have meditating to do." The gruff man on the other end said.

"Yes, Master," he sighed, and turned off the communicator, and sat down next to where he'd put Jasmine down.

"And, you Cedric?" Anakin asked.

"Nah, I've got other things to do," he said, heading for the kitchen, where their mother was.

"Are we losing you, too, Leia?" he asked with a laugh.

"No, he's capable enough."

He nodded. Jasmine wiggled as Luke sat down next to her, squishing her a little between him and Orlin on the other side.

"Hey, I may be small, but I'm not that small, Master."

"Oh, sorry," he said with a big grin.

She pushed him as hard as she could, but he didn't budge. "Move over, please?"

"Well, since you asked nicely," he said, scooting over a little, then turned his attention to the maps, explaining what they were planning for both her benefit and Orlin's. Orlin had a keen eye for details that the rest of them were missing, and actually was a good deal of help.

* * *

Julia felt awful for Jasmine. Not so much for Jaedrea, but they were both in the Healer's for at least a couple more days. Nobody asked her what had happened, which she was thankful for. It wasn't something she was at all ready to talk about. The first thing she had to do was Flight class, which was freedom. Master Tiin was there, which made things better. He may not have understood about Jae, but he understood her, which was more important. 

"Ready?" was all he asked her.

"Yes, Master." She said, and they were off.

* * *

Celia moved Jae back into her bed. She'd been up most of the afternoon, working on her Galactic History homework with Obi-Wan there, but Obi-Wan had fallen asleep about the same time she had, and so she'd sent him home, and tucked Jae in. Jae woke just as she was tucking the covers in around her. "Where did Master Obi-Wan go?" 

"To bed, silly, it's the middle of the night."

"Oh," she said, suddenly feeling very tired. "I'll go back to sleep then."

* * *

Jasmine wasn't happy when Luke took her back to the Healer's, but she didn't resist too much. She was tired out, and though the bacta was doing its job, she still wasn't totally healed. 

"I'm not going to rebandage your arm, Jasmine. It looks fine," Celia said after she removed the bandages there. Jasmine looked at the small shiny scars that her sister had left her, about two inches above and two inches below her elbow. "I thought that they hurt more than that."

"They were bigger when you came in, yes, but Lightsaber wounds seem to nearly always leave some sort of scar."

"The scars on the inside are worse."

Celia didn't seem to know what to say to that. "They heal, just the same," she said finally, "I just can't put bacta patches on your heart."

"Will I get out of here tomorrow, for good?"

"As long as you keep healing well, that shouldn't be a problem."

"Thanks, Celia," she said, throwing her arms around her sister.

"You're welcome. I need to go check and make sure Jae's still asleep."

"Am I a bad sister?" she asked him as Celia finished changing the bandages before she went to bed.

"Why do you ask that?"

"Because I haven't forgiven Jae," she said quietly as Celia left them alone.

"I don't think that makes you a bad sister, at least not yet. If it's still that way in half a year, then, yes, I would say that you aren't being a good sister."

"So it's ok if it takes me a little while?"

"It's going to take everyone a little while. I think you made a very good first step this morning, going to see her. I'm proud of you."

"I'm not proud of myself."

"Why not?"

"Because, she's back to normal…mostly, and I ran away from her."

"Jae has forgotten what happened over the last few months, we don't know yet if she'll go back when she remembers or not. In any case she still has to deal and heal from what she did."

"It's not easy. I don't like feeling queasy around her."

"I know, Little Bit. It's not easy when someone you love is walking down a self-destructive path."

"Daddy. How did you find out he was Darth Vader?"

She knew the short version of the story, and now wanted the long version.

"He told me." Luke's voice sounded haunted.

"Oh, then you turned him good, right?"

"It wasn't that easy, Padawan. He was trying to turn me to the Dark Side, we'd fought, lightsabers. He had cut off my hand, then he told me."

"Daddy? DADDY CUT YOUR HAND OFF?!" Jasmine was in shock to hear this.

"I wouldn't be telling you this story if I didn't think you needed to hear it, Padawan." Luke's voice was all business, he was speaking as Master to Apprentice, not as her brother. It was really the first time that he'd ever really done that. She felt the conflict in him. The half of him that was her brother really didn't want her to hear this, but the Jedi Master half of him knew she needed to hear it, even though it would cause her pain, lots of pain.

"There is more, you need to hear all of it, its going to be painful, but you need to hear it." He launched into the sad tale of love, war and betrayal. Jasmine was crying by the end.

"Not Daddy, Daddy couldn't do all of that, he just couldn't."

Luke held her tight as she wept, fear for Jae mixed with the pain she felt at hearing that her doting father was a mass murderer.

"The dark side sucks," she said as the tears dried.

"Yes, I'd have to say that I agree with you. It's also easy to fall into. You have to be careful."

"I will be, Master. I'll help Jae be careful, too."

"Get some sleep, Little Bit."

She nodded, and he left her by herself, and she curled up in bed, falling asleep before many more heartbeats despite the painful memories he'd shared with her.

* * *

When Jae woke in the morning, there was no one there. It was unusual, considering the last few times that she'd woken. She found her datapad by her bed, and she picked it up and turned it on. 

'Jae, here is the rest of the homework that you've missed over the last few days, and I've spoken with your teachers, and gotten all the homework you've turned in over the last three months, in case you need to review it. I will be in after I finish teaching my class.

Obi-Wan'

The short note was the first thing that came on the screen. She supposed that she would need to get started on some of her homework, so that she didn't get too much further behind. She picked up the datapad, trying to decide where to start.

"Are you hungry?" Celia asked from the door.

She considered. "I guess. I don't know, really. I feel kinda weird."

"I can imagine. Do you want to try to eat? We can't keep you on nutrient shots forever, you know."

She nodded, and Celia brought a bowl of oatmeal to her. "Try this. It shouldn't be too hard on your stomach, since you haven't eaten in three days."

* * *

"Do you really think it's a good idea to let her have her lightsaber?" Anakin asked, twirling the object in question in the deft fingers of his right hand as he sat on Obi-Wan's sofa. 

"Well, she's definitely not in the same mindset that she was before. I don't see that it will do any harm right now."

"I'm not going to fix it."

"Whyever not?"

"If she wants to keep the same lightsaber, after she knows what it's done, she can fix it herself. It will be good practice for her anyway."

Obi-Wan shrugged. "Are you thinking that she will want a new one?"

"I would, in her situation. Then again, I never got particularly attached to any one lightsaber in the first place."

"So how long have you had your current blade?"

"Oh, it's been years since I lost my lightsaber, Master. I did eventually learn the lesson you tried so hard to drill into my head."

"So, twenty-five lightsabers was enough for you?"

"Yes, Master."

* * *

Anakin went with Obi-Wan as they went to see Jaedrea. The Healers paid them little attention, since both Jae and Jaz were current residents. 

"I have brought you your lightsaber, as you requested." Obi-Wan said, after they were inside.

She looked it over, examining it carefully, then handed it back to him, unconsciously wiping her hands on her clothes, as though she'd gotten something on them. "Did you fix it, Daddy?"

"No, I haven't."

"It feels weird."

"What do you mean?"

"Like it's oily or slimy," she said, and she went back to the homework she was catching up on.

He looked at Obi-Wan, who just shrugged, and went to check on Jasmine, to see how she was doing.

* * *

Luke watched as Master Allie evaluated Jasmine's progress. 

"Can I go to class?" she asked as she bent over to one side, checking to see that she had not lost any of her flexibility with the new scar.

"Tomorrow, I don't see any problem with you going to class." Master Allie said.

"Even Lightsaber class?" she double-checked as she bent over the other way.

"Even Lightsaber class. You have healed up nicely."

"So can I go home now?"

"Yes, you can go home now. I don't think you'll have any problems."

She headed for the door, only to run into her father. "I get to go home, Daddy."

"Well," he said as he picked her up, "I can't say that I blame Master Allie for wanting to get rid of you. You've become quite the chatterbox."

"What about Jae?"

"Tomorrow, barring any problems," the Healer told her.

Jasmine didn't look particularly happy at that news, but didn't say anything. "When do we leave for Bespin, Master?"

"Oh, in a few days. I'm sure you can stand to be home that long, at least."

"Is Mara coming?"

"I don't think so. She may insist, but I'd rather not have her distracting me."

"That's good. I'd be worried about her if she came along. At least she doesn't get space sick like Leia when she's pregnant."

"If she did, I would have a better excuse for not wanting her to come."

"Keeping Ardrya safe is good enough."

"I'm glad you think so, Little Bit. I'm not sure she'll agree with me."

"What are we going to do now?"

"Well, I think you should work on catching up your homework for Political Strategy, then we'll see."

"Yes, Master."

* * *

Anakin went with Obi-Wan as he went to pick up Jae. It was just before lunch, and they were hoping to be able to get her real food. Not that the food available in the Healer's was bad, but somehow it just never tasted right to either of them, whenever they'd been tied down and forced to endure time at the Healer's. 

"Well, Padawan?" Obi-Wan asked her.

"I'm ready to go, Master," she said eagerly.

He turned to Master Allie. "You can have her. I've nothing further I want with her."

"Well, looks like you get to go home."

"I'm hungry, Master, can we go eat lunch now?"

"Well, I suppose that would be acceptable," Obi-Wan said, that having been his plan all along.

"Are you coming to lunch, too, Daddy?"

"I am."

"Good," she declared, getting between them, taking one of their hands in each of hers. They headed for the Mess Hall, and sat and ate in relative silence, the drone of conversation around them making it a less than ideal place to talk quietly.

As they concluded their meal, and prepared to go home, Anakin was slightly startled by a familiar voice. "I don't care how much time I've spent in the Healer's, Orlin, I can still kick your tail with one hand tied behind my back."

"Really?"

"Really."

"I bet your Master wouldn't like hearing you say so."

"I'm only telling the truth. He won't get mad at me for that."

"I'd call it bragging."

"You wouldn't," she seemed to believe him.

"Nah, I just wanted to see your face when I said that," he said, taking off at a dead run. Jasmine would be hard pressed to catch him.

"What was that about?"

Anakin shrugged. "Let's get home. Mace can deal with those two."

"She's in Master Windu's class?"

"Yes, Jaedrea, she is."

"Cool, can we go watch? Please?"

"Well, I don't see any harm in it, as long as you're quiet."

"Thank you, Master," she said, and they headed off after Jasmine and Orlin, but at a more respectable and sedate pace.

Master Windu ignored their presence on the upper tier of the salle, and few of the students even realized that there was such a thing, and went along blithely in their ignorance. Cedric glanced up at them, and Jasmine, but once they had seen them, they ignored them also.

Master Windu began class by listing off parings, and it didn't seem that Jasmine was being placed with anyone that she knew. "Jasmine Skywalker, Sarek Elson; Cedric Skywalker, Jace Danray; Orlin Davnic, Elysa Moriare…"

They began to pair off, and take up positions within circles drawn on the floor. Jasmine drew her lightsaber out, and he felt Jaedrea's absolute shock as Jasmine ignited it. The bronze core shining through the purple shroud was quite a sight, even though he'd gotten used to it himself. He and Obi-Wan had already been shielding her presence from those on the floor, or he would have chastised her about controlling her emotions. Soon the hum of all the lightsabers filled the room, leaving little room for anyone's conversation. It was quite an interesting spectacle to watch, as the green and blue blades flashed against each other. The boy that Jasmine was fighting had a blue blade, which complimented hers well enough. He was quite skilled, and though Jasmine was also, it was a very difficult fight for both of them. It took some time for the rest of the class to finish their bouts, but Jasmine and Sarek were still going at it hard when the last other fight finished. Finally tired of the fight, Jasmine used the Force to pull the boy's pants down around his ankles, distracting him enough that she could get her blade to somewhere vital, effecting her win.

"Master Windu!" Sarek started, but the look he gave the boy stopped him cold.

"We have had a discussion about what is fair in combat, have we not?"

"Yes, Master," he said, hanging his head.

"Then you should be thankful that this lesson was not painful, should you not?"

"Yes, Master."

He heard Jaedrea whisper, "Jazzy fights _dirty_," with no small amount of pride in her voice.

* * *

Jaedrea felt strange as she entered Obi-Wan's quarters with him. There wasn't anyone else there. Not exactly unusual, but it gave the place an eerie quality. "Here is your room," he told her. 

"Isn't it Dak-Tin's room?"

He smiled. "It was, but it has been yours for some time now."

"Oh," she said, and not being able to think of anything else to say to him, she went inside. All of the things she would have considered important were there. It felt odd, because she didn't remember ever having been inside the room she was standing in, and yet all of her things were there, having been placed there by her own hand. She left, going back into the main room. "Obi-Wan, what happened?"

"No one is entirely sure, Jaedrea."

"How did I get hurt?"

"You were alone. We aren't sure what happened, but we found you floating in a pool of water."

"I drowned?" she asked for conformation. What he was telling her was similar to what her father had already told her.

"Yes."

"What about Jasmine?"

"What about her?"

"She said she was hurt the same time I was. What happened to her?"

"She received a pretty bad lightsaber wound."

"Someone attacked us?" she asked, trying to make sense of the bits of information he was allowing her.

"As I said, we aren't sure what happened."

"Who hurt my sister, Master?"

He sighed, but he did tell her. "From what we have been able to establish, you did."

"Why?" she asked, disbelief flowing through her.

"I told you we don't know why, Jaedrea."

"There's something else, though. Something you aren't telling me."

"Padawan, down this path is only pain."

"I think I need to know, Obi-Wan. What is it you think you know about what happened?" she asked, crossing her arms.

"Very little, I'm afraid, Padawan."

"Just tell me, Master, please?" she pleaded, hating that she had to drag the information out of him. He was usually quite forthcoming when she asked him a question.

He sighed, "From what little we've pieced together, you fell to the dark side. We really don't know the underlying cause of it."

"Because I can't tell you, because I can't remember," she said, defeated as she finally sat down.

"Yes. You are taking this better than I expected you to, Padawan."

"I don't know what to say, Obi-Wan. I can only be the person that I am."

"Who is very different than the person I was dealing with a week ago."

She didn't know what to say to that, but a thought crossed her mind as she sat there in silence. Her mother had given her a journal for her ninth birthday, which was, according to what he was telling her, was three months ago. She remembered writing in it each night since she'd gotten it, at least the few days since her birthday that she did remember.

She decided that if she really had gone through all that time, the journal would know. She got up and went into her room, sticking her hand under her mattress. Her journal was right where she'd thought it would be. She took it out to Obi-Wan, curling into a ball around it. "What if I could tell you?" she asked. The thing she wanted to know most right then was why she'd hurt her baby sister.

"What do you mean, Padawan?"

"What if I could tell you what went wrong?"

"Do you know what happened?" Obi-Wan asked, carefully. He wasn't exactly happy with what she was implying.

"No," she said, looking down at the journal she'd brought out. "But I might have written something that will tell you."

"When did you have time, Jae?" he asked her, but the emotion she was getting from him was relief.

"Don't be mad, please?" she asked.

"When?" he asked, not sounding mad, not yet.

"When I was supposed to be meditating," she answered quietly.

"Well, Padawan, what shall we do about that?" he asked, but tired, not mad.

"I don't know. Meditating is so hard."

"So you must work extra hard to learn to do it well. We can discuss that later."

Relieved that she was only going to get meditation lessons out of this revelation, she keyed in the password to the journal, and it opened for her. "I don't know if I want to read this," she said as she flipped through the pages and pages that held her handwriting past what she remembered. It really had been three months, and this was just another reminder.

"You don't have to until, unless you feel that you are ready."

"Can I go do my homework now? I have so much to get caught up on."

"You may," he answered as he took the book from her. She heard him mentally summoning her father. She wondered briefly if he'd meant for her to hear, but decided that it really wouldn't matter, since they would be there talking about her anyway.


	24. The path to the dark side

**AN: August 21, 2007. So, you are probably wondering about why this has taken so long to get posted, and so I'll tell you.(if you don't care, you can, of course, skip the part where I babble) Yoda1976, who is my boyfriend and also my co-writer, well, his Dad went in the hospital on the 14th or the 15th. I don't remember now, but he's been in ICU and they aren't talking about getting him out of ICU until later on this week. I'm now in a different city, so I can't go visit him, or even this much wouldn't be done. Needless to say, my boyfriend's been at the hospital when he hasn't been at work. This is my outlet, so I've continued to write, though somewhat listlessly. He hasn't been able to help me with this chapter much at all, so some stuff that I'd planned to have him doing is being pushed out to later chapters. Subplot stuff, as he's helping me with the stuff Cedric's doing with the Constitution and he usually writes the darker parts of the stories. I am happy with this chapter as it stands, but I don't know if I'll get another one up until after Dad gets out of the hospital, or at the very least ICU. Please forgive me for life sucking right now, and don't abandon the story! It's going to get good on Bespin. I have plans. -WEG-**

**Teresa:I don't say that the journal is going to have all the answers, but it is definitely an enlightening read. I'm still working on it, but I'm going to start revealing parts of it next chapter. **

**TriGemini:Jasmine is going to take a lot of different lessons away from learning the details of her father's fall to darkness. She will hopefully be able to help Jaedrea deal with what happened.**

**KSkywalker1:She just didn't use the freetime that she had to write in her Journal, choosing instead to write instead of meditating. That's what Obi-Wan was complaining about.**

**starwarssomeone:Julia is going to be the one of the three of them that has the hardest time dealing with what's going on, I think because she wasn't actually involved in the whole deal. Julia is going to have a talk with Jaedrea here pretty soon, and then maybe she'll start to come to terms with what's been happening.  
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* * *

Chapter 23

Anakin was reaching for another lightsaber to work on when he felt Obi-Wan reaching out to him.

_Anakin, I believe Jaedrea has given me the key to our little mystery._

_I'll be there shortly._ Anakin said, putting away the tools instead of continuing on to another project. He hurried to Obi-Wan's quarters, where he found Obi-Wan reading some sort of book. He'd seen it before, but it took him several moments to place where. It looked like one of the journals that Padmé had given to each of their children, and from its proximity to Jaedrea, this one was obviously hers.

"So what exactly has my favorite daughter been babbling about now?" he asked as he sat heavily on the sofa.

"Oh, I'm sure you'll really enjoy reading some of this," Obi-Wan said dryly.

"I'm sure," he retorted back, taking the offered book.

"It begins on Ilum," Obi-Wan said, flipping back to the front, and then a few pages in. "Here," Anakin began reading where he indicated.

* * *

Lando sat calmly at his desk, while Sev'rance Tann paced in front of him, blowing off some of her very large amounts of steam. "How is it that a ship in perfectly good working order failed to arrive at its destination?" 

"I do not know, Ms. Tann. I fail to see how I am responsible for this mishap," he said as he folded his hands in front of him.

"Because you had to have something to do with it."

"What makes you come to that conclusion?"

"Because you've been too compliant."

"You made the choice quite clear to me. I have made my decision, and I have made peace with that decision."

She scrutinized him, but he was impassive. "Fine. You are more valuable to me alive than dead, today at least."

He gave her a small smile. "I'm glad you think so," he said, and turned back to the paperwork she'd interrupted.

She fumed out of the office, and he nearly collapsed in relief after the door closed.

"That went well," Lobot commented. If Lando hadn't known better he would have said Lobot was being sarcastic.

"Better than expected," he agreed. He'd half expected her to kill him out-of-hand.

* * *

Jasmine had been aching to catch her father alone, especially without Jaedrea around, since she was part of the problem anyway. Finally she found him in his workshop. "Daddy?" 

"Yes?"

"I have a question."

"What's that?"

"I don't quite know how to put it. It's complicated."

He set down what he was working on. "Ok, shoot."

"Well, Luke and I were talking, and I don't understand everything he was talking about," she said as she crawled up into his lap.

"What were you talking about?"

"You."

"What about me?"

"Well, the other you, the way you were when it was bad, before you killed the bad Sith man, the really bad one."

"Oh. His name is Sidious, if you want something to call him. What in the world were you talking about that for?" he asked her, looking incredulous.

"Well, I asked."

"Because of Jae," he guessed.

"Well, yeah."

"So what did you want to know?"

"Why did you cut his hand off?" she asked somewhat timidly. She wasn't sure that she should be bringing the subject up, but it made so little sense that she wanted to get it cleared up, so that she could maybe understand Jae better.

He sighed. "Well, it was in the middle of a lightsaber battle. It was just one of those things that happened. I didn't want to kill him; however I needed to end the fight."

"So it was better to cut his hand off?" she asked, understanding wanting and needing to end a fight, but not why he'd chosen that particular method.

"It was easier. Being on the dark side doesn't make you a nice person. I wanted to turn him to the dark side, at that point. If he would have joined me, the two of us together would have been strong enough to defeat Sidious. Luke by himself, with enough training, would have been able to defeat Sidious. In my mind, on that day, his hand was a small price to pay for getting out from under the rule of the Emperor."

"And you hurt Leia," she said, knowing that he had, but neither Luke nor Leia was willing to talk about it to her yet.

"I did. She's still working through that, too."

"Why did you hurt her?" she prompted him, still wanting more information.

"Because, first, I didn't know who she was. Second, she was a leader in the Rebellion. For me, that was the other side. She had information that I needed, in order to try to destroy the other side, the Rebellion, so I hurt her to try to convince her that she should give it to me."

Jasmine giggled softly. "You should know that only makes her more stubborn."

"Well, I know that now, but I didn't then," he said with a sad smile.

"And you did all sorts of bad things, Luke said, and he wasn't lying, but I didn't like to hear it," she wanted him to deny it, to tell her that everything had always been the same way that it was, with her and everybody there, not dead or never born.

"Well, I thought those things were the right things to be doing, because I was on the dark side."

"I don't understand the dark side. I think that's why Luke told me the story, so that I would understand the dark side so I could help Jae, but I don't understand it any more than I did yesterday," she told him anxiously.

"Well, I don't understand much of anything about it. Why would someone want to be on the dark side?"

"You don't start out wanting to be on the dark side, Jasmine, but it's something that happens to a lot of people because they aren't careful about how they try to do things."

"So how is it that it gets you?"

"Well, every case is different."

"I understand that, but isn't the dark side the same thing for everybody?"

He thought about it for a while. "Well, I suppose there are very general things that you could say about the dark side. I hadn't thought about it like that, though. I suppose once you get there, it's pretty much the same, but the point is not to fall to the dark side, so the path to the dark side is what you really need to know about, not necessarily the dark side itself. And everyone's path is different."

"So why did Jae turn to the dark side when she had all of us who love her? I thought that was supposed to be the way to keep from falling, was to love and be loved," she said, repeating some of the things she'd heard from Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan over the years.

He was quiet as he thought about it for a while. "Selfishness."

"Selfishness?"

"A desire for power could be seen as selfishness, and that was the way Jaedrea seemed to be acting. She stopped listening to everyone, so her desires became more important to her than what was good and right."

"Is that what it usually is? Power?"

"I believe so. I haven't had that many philosophical discussions with those who have fallen to the dark side."

"Oh. I don't suppose sitting down with Darth Maul in the middle of a fight for tea and philosophy would work very well."

He laughed at her analogy, which made her grin hugely. "I don't see that working well, no. He was raised as a Sith, though. It is all he's ever known."

"I didn't know that. He must be very sad inside."

"I imagine so."

"So is that what it was for you? Selfishness?"

He shifted uncomfortably under her scrutiny. She knew exactly what she was talking about, and it didn't sit well with him. "In a manner of speaking. I wasn't ready to let your mother go, I felt like it wasn't her time. Of course, doing what I did ended up causing her death, the very thing that I sought to prevent."

Jasmine had always known that her father would go to the end of the galaxy for her mother, if he had thought it would help. It sounded like he'd just listened to the wrong person about what it was he needed to do. "But Uncle Obi-Wan helped you, didn't he?"

"When I let him, he was always lots of help."

"But you forgot who your real friends were, didn't you, Daddy? Just like Jaedrea."

"I suppose you could say that I wanted to do everything myself, without relying on Obi-Wan."

"So selfishness can be tricky?"

"Yes, it can manifest in lots of different ways."

"Thank you, Daddy. I know you don't like to talk about this."

"You're right, but I can see that you do need someone to talk about it, from both sides. Jaedrea has you worried, doesn't she?"

"She's not totally right yet."

"Why do you say that?"

"It's like the dark side is hovering just outside her ability to sense it, and it's waiting for her to slip up again."

He sighed. He _so_ did not want to hear anything of the sort. "Well, we'll just have to be extra careful with her now."

"She's more breakable, I think, Daddy."

"I suppose that you could look at it that way."

"But you aren't like that, Daddy."

"What do you mean?"

"You are harder inside than she is, and harder than you were before."

"I suppose that means that I know my pitfalls, and besides, I've had a lot more time to learn to avoid them than Jae has."

"She didn't get as broken as you did."

He looked at her, confused.

"She's just cracked, on the inside. You got totally broken and Luke had to put you back together. Nobody's put Jae back together."

"Well, I guess that's something that we'll have to work on while you're on Bespin."

"Ok, Daddy," she said, sitting there in his lap for a while. "And Daddy?"

"Yes?"

"It doesn't matter what you've done, I still love you."

* * *

Cedric settled into meditation, contemplating the events of the last few weeks. He barely had time to breathe sometimes, but keeping busy was better than stopping and thinking about _her_. He was working through his anxiety, hoping to be able to be as calm inside as he would be presenting himself as being on the outside. He was, he knew, not going to be able to exactly do that, but the importance for this was not being able to accomplish it today, but in being able to accomplish it by the time that he was Knighted. He allowed his focus to drift to the things he hadn't dealt with yet. Tann's nighttime visit, and the dreams he'd had starting a couple of weeks after he'd seen her. Those were fading, though, happily enough, and life was settling back to normal. He wondered if he would see her again, but realized that he was tempting fate every time he did. 

Cedric saw no point in continuing right then, since he was getting quite distracted from the peace that he was supposed to be attempting to achieve. He gathered up his research, notes, and the Constitution that he'd built, preparing for the first of what would likely be many battles defending his plan. Bail had told him that it wouldn't be easy, but he wasn't sure how well Bail would know, since this hadn't been done for as long as anyone alive could remember, at the least.

* * *

Luke stood in his room in his quarters, considering what his wife was saying. Well, more considering how to tell her no without firing her temper off. "I'm going with you," she'd said to him. 

"No, you aren't," he said calmly.

"There's no reason that I can't go, and you'll need more people there," she argued logically. Unfortunately, no matter how logical the argument was that she presented, he wasn't budging.

"You will be a distraction that I won't be able to afford. Besides, I doubt Master Allie would clear you for such a dangerous mission, in your delicate condition," he said, looking down at her bulging stomach.

She opened her mouth to refute him, but closed it again. After a moment she asked him, "It really worries you that much?"

"Yes," he said, wrapping her in his arms.

"Why? I can take care of myself very well. I can stand toe-to-toe with you in a fight, and there are very few who aren't Skywalkers who could say that."

"You are just as much a Skywalker as I am, Mara, and that's not my point. I don't want both of you in danger, and this is going to be a very dangerous mission."

His care for her and the baby did her in. "Telling you that I don't like it when you go do dangerous things without me there to watch your back isn't the same, is it?"

"Well, it's close, but I'm not the one carrying our child," he said, smiling as he placed a hand on her stomach.

"I suppose I can put up with you being this protective of me for two more months. But only because it's so cute."

"Good. You'll have to."

* * *

Jaedrea sighed as she entered the family's common room. As she'd hoped, her father was there alone, "When will everybody stop looking at me like I've turned purple or something?" 

He looked up at her from whatever he was reading. It was not something very common that she saw him reading anything, but now that she noticed, he was reading her journal, so he had reason to be reading. "I don't know, Jaedrea. But sometime, it will happen."

"I don't even know what exactly happened, Daddy."

"And that's probably the hardest part of it all for you, isn't it?" he asked her sympathetically.

"I think so. I mean, I kinda know what happened. I made Obi-Wan tell me."

"So if you knew that about someone else, would you not look at them strangely?"

"I guess. I just want to know what I can do to be forgiven, so that this all goes away, and I can get back to normal."

"Well, there is a flaw in that little plan of yours."

"What's that?"

"There is nothing that you can do to be forgiven."

"Why not?"

"Forgiveness isn't something that you can earn. Ever."

"But I've been forgiven before," she said, wringing her hands somewhat nervously.

"Oh, and you'll be forgiven for this, sooner or later. But it isn't something that you earn, but something that you are given by someone who loves you."

"So, I just get it, because someone loves me?" she asked as she leaned over the back of the sofa to look at him better.

"Yes, essentially. Now, something else entirely, is that you have broken a lot of people's trust in you. That is something that you can earn, and you will have to earn back, if you want it."

"Will there be people who won't let me?"

"I imagine so."

"So because of this, my life is never going to be the same again."

"That's about the size of it. I don't think it will affect you too much, once you get past the healing that everyone has to do within the family, but it may crop up at odd times."

"So, I have to earn back trust from everybody?"

"Yes, you will. And there will be times that it won't seem like it's worth it."

"But I have to try."

"Well, it's that or fall back to the dark side," he said, eyeing her to evaluate her reaction.

The horror on her face was enough to tell him that she would try very, very hard to earn everyone's trust.

* * *

Padmé went into the living room to find Jaedrea talking to Anakin. She didn't want to interrupt, so she just watched for a moment. She'd seen his eyes flit up to her, acknowledging that she was there, at least. 

"I don't want that, Daddy."

"I didn't think so. So you have to work on it," he told her.

She was quiet for a moment as she worked her way up to her next question. "So, Daddy, did you find anything out?"

"Do you really want to know about it?"

She considered for a moment, but decided that she really didn't. She shook her head. "I don't want to know everything, but I want to know if the answers are there. Does that make sense?"

"It makes a lot of sense. There are a number of pieces to the puzzle of what went on in your journal, though not all of them. It is enough to get a clear picture of what was going on in your head."

"So?"

"Well, I've still got to talk to the Council about what happened, but I don't think you will actually be blamed for what happened."

"You mean it wasn't my fault?"

"Sort of. We'll talk about it when you're ready, which is not today. Don't you have homework to do?"

"I think I'm actually caught up," she said, with that little twitch that said she was really no such thing. "I'll have to ask Master Obi-Wan."

"Where is your Master, anyway?"

She closed her eyes for a moment, and then shrugged. "He's not in class or at home. I don't think there's a Council Meeting right now, because he doesn't feel bored."

It was difficult for Padmé to keep from laughing, but she managed somehow, but their conversation was interrupted by the door opening, and Jasmine entering. "Hi, Jasmine!" Jaedrea piped up brightly, but Jasmine still wasn't totally sure about her sister.

"Hi, Jae," she said, then turned to Padmé, "Is Cedric home?"

"No, he's over at the Senate."

She scrunched up her face in disgust. "That's right. That thing was supposed to start today. No wonder he wasn't in class this afternoon."

"Would you like me to help you?" Jaedrea asked.

Jasmine shook her head as she looked over at her sister. "Jae, honestly, you wouldn't be any help. You aren't in this class and you'd only be lost. Maybe when I get back, and get enrolled in something else you can help me when I need it."

She looked disappointed, but she accepted Jasmine's explanation. "What class?"

Jasmine glanced at Anakin, who nodded slightly before she answered. "Political Strategy."

"Why in the world do you want to take that class? Isn't that what Obi-Wan is teaching?"

"Yes, Obi-Wan teaches it, and as for why I'm in that class, it's because my Master thinks I'll learn something. I didn't want to get involved in that class."

"Is it interesting?"

Jasmine considered for a moment, since she'd simply accepted that she would have to take the class, and not thought anymore about it, "I wouldn't say interesting, but it certainly teaches a different way of thinking," she said, then turned to Padmé again. "Do you think you could help me with my homework, Mom?"

She wondered again at how self-reliant her children had become, and how reliant they were on one another. "I would be happy to help you, sweetheart," she said, and they went into the dining room.

* * *

Julia sat at the dining room table after dinner, with Jasmine. "Are you ok, Jazzy?" 

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well, what happened with Jae."

"Oh," she scrunched her face up, thinking. "I think I'll be fine. I'm worried about her, though."

"Why?"

"Well, it's like she's broken."

"She is broken."

"But she needs to be not broken."

"What can we do about it?"

"I don't know. Daddy will talk to her. I talked to him about it."

"Daddy will fix her?" Julia asked, playing with the end of her Padawan braid. It was still new to her, and she wasn't used to it yet.

"I don't know, but he will sure try. When are you going to Ilum?"

"In a couple of days. I'm excited," she said, brightening at the prospect.

"Is Master Tiin going to let you fly there?"

"I don't know, I haven't asked. Maybe."

"I guess that would be fun. I don't know what Master Luke has planned for me when we get back. I'm sure Flight class is going to be on the list."

"Master Tiin still isn't letting me anywhere near the X-Wings. Are they fun?"

"I don't really have anything to compare them to, but yeah, they are a lot of fun."

"Maybe I can talk Daddy into flying one with me," Julia mused.

"I don't know, maybe. I think that the only reason that I got to fly in one was because Master Luke got all excited about it," Jasmine said, which threw Julia into fits of giggles.


	25. Quiet before the storm

**AN:September 1, 2007. Ok, so now I babble again. Dad got out of the hospital, and is doing much better, and thanks everyone for their concerns. I expect with school and everything to only be getting a chance to post about once a week, but that should be either Saturday or Sunday each week, so we'll see how that goes for a while. **

**Charlie Hayden: I've taken what you said into consideration, and am fixing the section with Jasmine and Anakin...a little. This is, as always, a work in progress, so I occasionally flip my lid about what should be going on in a particular section. **

**ElusiveMaverick: I don't forsee Tann and Cedric meeting again, at least not in this book. I may be wrong, I've been wrong before. **

**And as promised, they will leave for Bespin in chapter 25!**

* * *

Chapter 24

Jaedrea spent the day working on her math homework, reviewing what she'd done on the last three months, and by dinner, she'd finished all the math problems that Obi-Wan had given her.

"Clear the table, Jae, and could you set it as well?" Siri asked from the kitchen.

"How many, Master Siri?"

"Just the three of us. Fin is on Dantooine for a while."

"Did he get Knighted?" she asked as she put away her schoolwork.

"Oh, that was a couple of months ago, Jae. You were there."

It was just another reminder of how much she'd lost out on, not remembering the last few months. She sighed, quiet as she set the table for dinner. Obi-Wan and her father had taken off before lunch, in an intense discussion about her journal. He was back now, as she finished. "Good evening, Master."

"Good evening, Jaedrea," he said as she wrapped her arms around his waist. "What have you gotten done today?"

"I'm finished with my math homework."

"When are you going to start on your paper for your forms class?"

"In the morning."

"Alright. Do you think you'll need help?"

"I don't know. Maybe."

"I'll hang around then."

"Thank you, Master."

* * *

Anakin sat down on Obi-Wan's sofa. Jaedrea was supposed to be working on something, he didn't remember right then what, but she wasn't, because she was in the common room with them. "Don't you have something to be doing?" 

"I'm stuck," Jae answered him.

"Don't you have something else you could do in the meantime?" Anakin asked, not really wanting her there while they discussed their upcoming Council meeting.

"No, I'm finished with everything else."

"Why are you stuck?" he asked, deciding that she wasn't going anywhere.

"Because," she told him but didn't elaborate.

"What are you having a problem with?"

She sighed. "I'm supposed to write a paper on the nature of the Soresu, but I'm not sure how."

"Ah. I had trouble with a couple of those."

"So can you help me?" Jae asked.

"Obi-Wan would be more help, but why don't you go hunt down someone with a bit more recent experience, like Dak-Tin?" Anakin asked pointedly.

"I suppose I could do that, but he's probably too busy."

"Well, go ask, and come back if he is."

"Ok," she grumped, gathering her notes and heading off to see if she could find Dan.

"She's put that paper off until last," Obi-Wan said. "Just as you would have done."

"I know," he sighed. "I can't help but think that all of her troubles are my fault."

"Well, I suppose, in a way you could say that was true, but she would not have any troubles at all, if it weren't for you as well."

Anakin thought about that for a while. "But why did he choose her?"

"I would say that the answer to that is that she is, on the inside, wholly your daughter."

"I was afraid that you'd say something like that." Anakin said, then his frustration broke its bounds for a moment before he could reign it in. "He fooled the whole Galaxy. What chance did she have against him? And Jasmine tells me that she feels like the darkness is still hovering over her." 

"What does she mean by that?"

"Like it's waiting for her to come back to it," he sighed, "I don't know, Master."

He went back to scanning Jaedrea's journal, when something caught his eye. "Wait, you told her that?"

"Told her what?"

"She said, 'Master Obi-Wan is acting downright weird today. I asked him about it, and he said it was the anniversary of the day he met Luke,'" he read as he handed the book over to Obi-Wan."Oh, that. I suppose that it's one of those things that slipped my mind at the time."

"He's been teaching her Djem So," he said, indicating a further entry where she mentioned it.

"You learned that technique when you were younger, too, Anakin."

"Yes, but I didn't learn it from a Sith Lord."

"And you learned to channel your darker emotions properly before I let you learn it, as well," Obi-Wan said thoughtfully.

"Yes. I don't understand this whole concept that the triplets seem to have that five minute's difference in age makes a difference in _anything._"

"I don't know, Anakin. I think Jasmine does tend to act somewhat younger than the other two."

"I think that's mostly shyness, Obi-Wan. I believe Jasmine is actually a lot more mature and able to handle things than Jaedrea is."

"And Jaedrea insists on trying to emulate you."

Anakin grimaced at the thought. "And Julia doesn't care what anyone else is doing as long as she has something to fly."

"Well, I wouldn't go that far, Anakin. She does care very deeply about her family, I think. Jaedrea, on the other hand, we will need to sit down and have a talk with her soon about this. We've been avoiding the topic, and she's been letting us, and we need to address it."

"The morbid curiosity hasn't killed her yet?"

"I don't think she's eager to go through the fall to the dark side again, even verbally. I think she still knows subconsciously what happened, and she's not eager to repeat the experience."

"So she's not regained any of her memories?"

"Not as far as I can tell."

"Well, I wouldn't want to remember anything about my time talking to a particular Sith, myself."

"Well," he said, flipping to the front of her journal, "I suppose that if warning bells would have gone off when he asked her to hide his presence from me, none of this would have happened."

"She's nine. She doesn't have warning bells," Anakin said, exasperated.

"Well, I know. Who was it that you met in the caves, when Palpatine was alive? I know you met him the second time around."

"Darth Maul. It was strange, but I could deal with that. I knew who he was, what he was."

"Well, let's go see what the Council has to say about this."

"Alright. I'm glad you're here to help me with her."

Obi-Wan smiled. "Where else would I be, brother?"

* * *

Lando watched as another load of Tibanna gas was shipped off to the mystery system of Endor. Hopefully by this point, the slicers whose programs Lobot had permitted to remain in the systems of Cloud City had decided to do something about the shipments that were going out. He'd started to rearrange the cargos so that cheap items and the custom built plating for whatever she was building were going out together, and more easily sold items, pricier ones that would make a pirate think about hitting a particular shipment, like the Tibanna gas, were shipped in larger quantities, together. The hold of the ship that was taking off was filled to the brim with Tibanna gas, and it was a shipment that he was hoping they would hit. Not that he wanted the pirates to have it, but it was something that would piss Tann off, and she would go searching for them and leave him alone. 

Double-checking his manifests, he had three other ships to send her today, most of it that ugly custom hull plating, and a few odds and ends that any ship could use. Shipping as much of the hull plating as he could manage at once made sense as well. It actually stacked fairly well, so the more of it that he had to throw in one ship, the less room it took up overall. He thought the amount of hull plating was scary. Just how many ships was she building? He'd sent enough to build over 3,000 Republic Dreadnaughts, which was easily half the Republic's fleet. He also doubted that Cloud City was the only facility that she had taken over. He had no direct proof of this other than the fact that she was gone far more than she was there. While that was a relief, he couldn't help wonder what other nefarious things she was doing with her time. He hoped this shipment would get hit. He left the landing platform wishing the Jedi would hurry up and arrive.

* * *

Cedric walked in to the room quietly. He did most everything quietly, at least according to the standards that non-Jedi would use to judge, and even the standards of most Jedi. It was just not in his nature to be particularly loud in the first place, and being trained in the way of the Jedi allowed him to be quiet to the point of invisibility, for those that paid attention with their ears. Unfortunately, most humans and most other sentients actually paid very little attention to what went on with their ears, and instead relied mostly on what their eyes told them. He met the gazes of a few of those invited as he made his way toward the back; not because he didn't want to be involved in the discussion, but because he wanted to be able to scan the room at will, and judge others' reactions through the Force. It wasn't long before Bail walked in, and everyone found a seat, and the proceedings opened. 

"I would like to thank everyone for coming. I know everyone here is excited by the opportunity that we have here. I hope you all are comfortable. The Chancellor has expressed to me her regret at not being able to personally attend, but she's with us in spirit. I don't want this to be a horribly stuffy proceeding; most of us do enough of that in the Senate as it is, but we do need to keep things moving along, so I'll try to make sure everything is done in an equitable manner. I have taken the liberty of setting an agenda for this; we will listen to one proposal a day. If you don't think that a particular proposal has received enough attention, we can delay the next proceeding on a case-by-case basis. I have received and reviewed all of the proposals that were submitted, and have selected five to be presented. There are ideas in each that are worthy of attention, and I hope that you will give each one due consideration. There is no one here without my express approval, and you all know that the secrecy of this meeting is of the utmost importance."

He paused for a moment. "I won't be able to be here all of the time that we'll be working, but I hope to be here most of the time. I will be designating someone to ensure that the proceedings are moving smoothly while I'm not here. But we'll get to that when it's time. I hope everyone can be respectful of whoever happens to be talking, and I will try to be fair about who is chosen to speak. This is one of the most important things that you will ever do in your life, and so we must be very deliberate about what is put into this Constitution. The first proposal will be presented by Mon Mothma," Bail said, and he stepped over to a seat that was further back, but higher, so that he could see just as well as from the main podium.

Cedric yawned. He was almost bored with the presentation. He'd reviewed the proposed Constitution the night before, and was looking now for holes he could poke in it, but the problem was that it was Mon Mothma's proposal. She was well respected among all assembled here, and by Cedric himself. He found himself disappointed that she had shown such a lack of imagination with her proposal. It pretty much amounted to keeping everything as it currently is, with the addition of some of her own pet projects. The longer he listened to her proposal speech, the more irritated he got. He had thought that of all the senators here, SHE would get the point of this exercise. He found himself anxious to get to the cross examination phase of the deliberations. His Jedi senses told him that no one here was taking him seriously, except for Bail. He knew that if HIS proposal were to have even a fair hearing he needed to get them seeing him as a Jedi and scholar in his own right instead of a thirteen-year-old boy. Not that many of those here actually knew who he was, nor what his true age was. He was quite tall, taller than some adults that he knew, even now, and so people who didn't know him tended to judge his age by his height, and he'd heard people comment when they thought he wasn't listening that they thought he was as old as seventeen. Ordinarily his natural caution would have him wait until he was actually older, but he knew that this chance to fix things wouldn't come again, at least not in his lifetime.

Finally her speech came to a close, and Cedric motioned to be allowed to speak. He was a shade faster than the other committee members, a calculated move on his part. Let them think they might have a shot at beating him in the physical aspects of this exercise.

Bail recognized him nearly immediately, and grumbling could be heard, and Cedric felt the resentment, quickly followed by a sense of relief. He could guess what they were thinking. '_Yes, get the side show out of the way. The boy needs to learn after all. It's probably part of his assignment to speak.' _He was glad at that moment that his voice had already finished going through the changes that puberty brought. It made it easier to ensure that his words carried to every person in the room.

"Thank you, Mr. Chairman, honored members of the committee, and to the honorable Senator from Chandra. I found your presentation on the state and future of our Grand Republic to be most fascinating," he paused, just long enough to make the anxious think he was done. He felt the relief start to spread through the assembly, but then squashed it like a bug.

"However, I am disappointed that the esteemed Senator shows such a lack of imagination in presenting her plan for the future of this Republic. I am equally disappointed that the Senator saw fit to place in her plan some of her own pet projects. Projects that while on their own are laudable and meritorious, don't belong in the framework we are attempting to build here.

"Tell me, esteemed colleague, just why are you here? Your proposal seems to suggest that you believe the failed status quo is the best framework we can come up with. I await your answer," Cedric said. He allowed a small smile as he felt a ripple of reappraisal run its course through the crowd. The game was now afoot.

* * *

Leia was not entirely ready for what she was trying to do, but she was doing it anyway. That was sort of the point, but it was still embarrassing. Chewie was directing her through the exercises that he had taught her, and she was still clumsy at them, and Han was being allowed to watch. What was worse, was her Master was permitting, _encouraging,_ him to take holos. She was even suggesting angles he could try, in order to get the best shot. Although the term _best_ was debatable as to her exact meaning. At least she hadn't fallen out of the tree. She had re-developed her connection with the Force to an extent that she could at least stop that. 

"You are doing very well, Leia'wa. I didn't expect you to catch on quite as quickly as you did. Of course, I didn't expect to have to find you seven months pregnant when I got home from Askaj, either."

She didn't respond; she was slightly busy with a complicated maneuver, the name of which she didn't remember the Basic equivalent for. She had been doing this for nearly an hour, and she thought they had filled the camera by now, surely?

"Are we done yet?" she asked, swinging to another branch.

Han looked at the camera. "The camera is full, but I could put another cartridge in," he said with his particularly cute roguish grin.

She jumped down, using the Force to retain her balance and cushion her fall. "I don't think so."

"Oh, well. I guess I'll have to use it on the twins so that we have pictures for while we're away."

"That is a much better idea," she said, patting his cheek as she passed him, headed for the shower.

* * *

Anakin and Obi-Wan presented the information about what happened with Jaedrea to the Council. It was as complete as they could make it, a week after she had attacked her sister. 

"Well, we have given you one week to decipher what has happened. Are you prepared to present evidence as to what happened, so that we may debate Jaedrea's continued position within the Temple?" Mace asked.

"We are ready," Obi-Wan said. Anakin had known, though he hadn't said anything about it to his family that Jaedrea was practically on trial for what had happened. If they couldn't find a reason, an explanation of what happened, and then he didn't know what would have happened. Had she been Elizabeth's age, she would have been dismissed from the order, unless the explanation had been a very good one. She'd pushed the tolerance of even some of Council, though, on many occasions, so Anakin didn't know how they would react to what they were about to say.

"What we believe happened is that she was under the direct influence of the shade of Darth Sidious," Obi-Wan said.

"Darth Sidious?" Saesee Tiin asked incredulously.

"Jaedrea was most anxious to help us, since she does not remember what happened. She provided us with her Journal, which describes what happened when she encountered him in the caves on Ilum. He assisted her in finding a crystal, which he then inhabited," Obi-Wan continued.

"I would like to hear this, in her words," Kit Fisto said.

Anakin opened his daughter's journal, and read the relevant entry, "'We landed on Ilum today, and I went into the cave, which was kind of strange. I didn't stay too long. It felt kind of creepy. I met a ghost in there. He said he was a friend and that I had great potential. He called himself Sid. He seemed really nice. It was chilly in the cave, though, so I didn't talk to him for very long. I hope he comes back tomorrow. I'm going to go back tomorrow, when I have more time. Master Obi-Wan said that it was ok if I didn't find a crystal for a few days. He says not everyone does. He said that Daddy found seventeen the first time he came to the cave. I kind of feel a faint pull when I go in there. I guess that it's my crystal, telling me where to go so I can get there, but it feels far. I don't know how else to explain it. Obi-Wan just nods when I say that. He says that I can go tomorrow, and see if I can find it.'"

"The thing I find strangest about that particular entry was it was that it was rather warm there that day," Obi-Wan said.

"The chill she felt may have been his dark presence," Oppo Rancisis said, saying what might have been obvious to everyone, but needed to be put into words anyway. A few of the others nodded at what he said, but no one had further comment on that topic.

"And there was talk of the crystal the next day?" Kit asked finally.

Anakin answered, "Yes, there was. 'I did it! I found my crystal. Sid helped; he said that I needed a crystal to focus my emotions, particularly my anger. It sounds similar to what Obi-Wan says. My crystal is blue. Sid asked if he could live in the crystal, I like Sid, so I said yes. Sid also said that I shouldn't tell Obi-Wan about him. Obi-Wan says that that it's ok for me to have a blue crystal. I thought I would have a green one, but Obi-Wan says that the blue one suits me. Daddy has a blue lightsaber, so I guess he's right. Of course Sid living in it makes it even more special. It was just lying there, in the middle of the floor. It took me three hours to get to the place where it was. I wish it had been closer. I almost got lost coming back to the ship. Those caves are so huge; it's really kind of scary.'"

"I assume that it goes downhill from there," Plo Koon said.

"Yes, it does. He exerted heavy influence over her, twisting what she saw into what he wanted her to see. She started out not believing what he said, but the more she heard, the more she believed, and the quicker she believed it as well," Obi-Wan said.

"We tried to intervene, as you know, and it would have been successful, had we known what was truly going on," Anakin added.

"Well, now as to the lightsaber, what can you tell me about it, Anakin?" Mace asked.

"It is of standard construction, though the crystal has been focused with dark energy. I wouldn't have noticed if I hadn't been looking for it; but otherwise, it does not seem to be in any way significant. I took every type of energy reading that I could think of, and nothing seemed out of line. I do not believe that the ghost still resides in the crystal. Jaedrea will have to construct a new lightsaber, though," Anakin said.

"Why is that?" Eeth Koth asked, though the question was on all of their minds. He felt no hostility toward the idea, only curiosity.

"She has picked it up only once in the last week. I don't know if she will be able to use it." Obi-Wan said.

"She also claimed that it felt oily. I think it would be best to allow her to construct another saber, since she at least subconsciously seems to remember what the one she already has has done," Anakin said.

"You let her have access to her lightsaber?" Shaak Ti asked. Cedric had spent a good deal of time in her quarters as opposed to being home, with the Constitutional issues he was trying to help out with, and he'd apparently confided his own concerns about her with his Master.

"I have yet to fix the damage it received from being underwater when she hit her head," Anakin told her. "I had planned to show her how, but I don't know if she will want to use it. I doubt it."

"She won't keep it in her room. She has asked me to leave it in the common room," Obi-Wan informed them.

"She actively avoids touching it?" Ki-Adi-Mundi asked.

"Yes, she does. That is why we feel she should construct a new lightsaber," Obi-Wan said.

Coleman Trebor spoke up then, "She does not remember constructing the first one, correct?"

"That is correct. That is another reason we feel this way about it," Obi-Wan said.

"We will allow this. It is highly unusual to construct a new lightsaber unless the first is lost or damaged beyond repair, but this is a highly unusual situation." Mace Windu said, closing the matter.

They debated additional evidence for the rest of the day, but in the end it was decided that Jaedrea should be watched carefully, Obi-Wan's continued guidance was the best that they could find in her situation, and that they could go obtain another crystal for her when she was ready for that step, and she should return to as normal of a schedule as possible, when Obi-Wan thought she was ready.

* * *

Anakin was putting the final touches on a droid he was putting together, when someone walked into his workshop without knocking. He turned to see who it was, and found his Padawan there. "Ash," he said, turning back to the droid, "Did you need something?" 

"Well, Master, I've hardly seen you this last week."

He finished the final tweaking on the droid, and started it up. "Well, I'm not doing anything right now, and not for the foreseeable future, at least until dinner."

He couldn't tell if Ash was smiling, but from the sound of his voice, he was. "Let's go down to the Mid-regions again. I feel like I'm actually doing something when I'm there."

"You'll get to start going off planet again here pretty quick," he said, knowing that the real reason the boy was going stir-crazy was because they hadn't been off Coruscant in ages.

"Can we go to Bespin?"

"I can't, not with Jaedrea the way she is. Ask Luke, he's the one in charge of the operation. I don't mind if you go without me, since you'll have a fair number of people to watch out for you. You're close enough to your Knighting that it shouldn't be a problem."

Ash nodded. "I'll do that next time that he's got everything all laid out on the table in the common room."

"You should just go ask. I think they're leaving this afternoon. You aren't the only one itching to go to Bespin. I've heard a couple of others asking."

"So maybe I'll have company?"

"Well, I don't think that the ones asking are going to get to go. The _only_ reason that Jasmine is going is because Luke is. I don't know if he will let any other Padawans go or not. Leia and Jasmine should be enough trouble as it is."

"I'm not any trouble, Master."

"Of course not," Anakin commented dryly. "Ask; you have my permission to go if he will allow it. Now," he said, shutting off the droid, "Shall we go down to the Mid-Regions?"

"Yes, Master." Ash said.


	26. Goodbyes

**AN:** **Thanks to everyone for your kind words. Dad went back into the hospital yesterday, something else this time, and we're not quite sure what's wrong. Hopefully this trip will get him straightened out. It's not as serious this time, but I know that I would be really unhappy to be in the hospital for the second time in a month(Which would translate into making the nursing staff hate me).**

**LokiGirl:No, Sidious hasn't given up yet...**

**Teresa: It was a bit of both, he did take time to build his strength, and he did need to find someone with a temperment like Anakin's. Someone who would believe him without questioning his motives. Jasmine was much too discerning for him to try, and Celia and Liz just didn't have the sort of ambition that he was looking for. Cedric might have been a target, if he'd been able to see the boy's future clearly. And by the time that he'd gotten strong enough to try, Luke and Leia had already gone to Ilum and were older. His spirit was drawn to Ilum because it acts as a Force-Nexus, a very concentrated place in the Force(Which is why it is one of the places that Jedi get crystals from.).  
**

* * *

Chapter 25

Luke sat on the balcony in meditation. He felt almost like he hadn't meditated for a month, despite keeping to his routine. The sun of Courscant, familiar, but distant—too distant for someone raised on Tatooine—shone down on him, warming his skin. He thought little about it, though, just warming himself and enjoying the sensation. What he did think about was his upcoming mission.

He decidedly did not want to be doing this. Something was going to happen, something regrettable, but avoiding the situation would only make the problem worse. Immolious would be there, he could feel it. With as much heartache as she had caused Cedric, he didn't want to meet her again. He'd had his own run-ins with that side of her; the playful teasing banter had never really bothered him, because he'd had his love for Mara to fight her off with.

He'd never really taken her seriously before. It was now clear to him that she'd reached out to Cedric, connected with him, and that their fates were now entwined. He didn't know yet if that was for good or for ill, but it was definitely not what he wanted for his little brother. Saving their father hadn't been a picnic, and throwing sex into the mix would only add to the dimension of the heartache Cedric was going to end up with. She hadn't been back since that first night, at least, not that he knew of. Cedric seemed to be doing better now, having redirected his focus to reforming the government. He was proud that the boy seemed to thrive in the environment of bureaucracy; it was something that Leia had always been trying to explain to him, but it wasn't something that he was really interested in.

It had been odd, during the Rebellion days, when he and Leia and Han had been together out on missions a lot, she would fight with him, but he could see even then that they were meant for one another. Luke, on the other hand was her rock, though, the person she could tell anything to. It was him that she would come to when she needed to cry, rant, or just to share. That wasn't something Han had been good at, sharing. When she'd kissed him on Hoth after he'd been caught out all night, it had come out of the blue. Of course, she'd been fighting with Han, and was just doing it to make him jealous. He knew it then, and he smiled like there was not a care in the world, and he did it for her, and he'd enjoyed tormenting the older man that day. _Force, I was young then,_ he thought, but realized that it had only been…less than two years ago.

In two years, he'd spent nearly a year of that on the backwater planet of Dagobah, training with Yoda, learned that his father was the second most evil person in the galaxy, and then proceeded to save him. A trip to the past had given him insight into why everything had happened, and permitted the three of them to correct the problem of their father falling to the dark side. This had created a whole cascade of problems that three weeks in the past had neither permitted them to see nor correct, and now the galaxy was on the brink of war again. The issues that had brought about the Clone Wars were not ones that had been resolved, and the deaths of nearly every Senator who was present that day had caused chaos that was easily exploited by Darth Maul.

_If we had only gotten him then, would the galaxy be on the brink of war?_ he questioned himself and the Force, but the Force was silent on the issue. The issues exploited by the Sith still remained. He knew that the there were thousands of issues that individuals went to war over in the Clone Wars; the same would be true now if the galaxy went to war again. He hadn't had a good chance to talk with his father about the Clone Wars, or much of anything else, for that matter. Cedric and Jaedrea had taken up a good deal of their time when they did get a chance to talk, and Jasmine had taken up a good deal of his time, and his father never stopped moving. According to his mother, he even tossed and turned constantly in his sleep.

It was, he supposed, the fate of the Chosen One to be always doing something. _At least it's a second chance, a chance to make a better life for ourselves,_ he thought. This war, he could feel it coming, and he didn't know if there was anything that could stop it. It would be his second war, and Leia's. It would be their father's third, though this would be the first time that they would fight on the same side. That part excited him, seeing the brilliant strategist that Old Ben had told him about, that he'd even seen in action a time or two, but he didn't ever again want to be on the receiving end of that.

He'd gone and looked up the raw numbers of Jedi in the Order, and he'd been shocked at how quickly the numbers had declined. When Yoda had joined the Order, there had been nearly a million Jedi, and that had been a rather low number over the course of the last twenty-five thousand years. The Jedi had been fighting with the Sith for far longer than they'd realized. When his father had joined the Order, there had been only about a hundred thousand Jedi. In the thirty-six years since, the Order had tripled in size, but it was still nowhere near its former size, and the growth was still coming in spurts, as generations of Jedi grouped together. Like his family, there were five children within the span of this one year. It hadn't been planned, but it made things tough sometimes. It was going to start evening out, in a couple more generations, and in fact it was already starting to do so.

He didn't notice Jasmine curling up in his lap, but he felt cooler as her body blocked out some of the sun's light. He opened his eyes and looked down at her. "And how long have you been there?"

She shrugged. "A while. You were thinking about how to defeat the Sith without having to fight the war that they are trying to start."

"I've been thinking about a lot of things."

"I know."

"What are you doing out here anyway?"

She looked down, and said quietly, "Hiding from Jae."

"She's not going to bite."

"I know, and she's not going to be bad anymore, but I…" she faltered as her vocabulary was inadequate to explain what was going on inside herself.

"You haven't dealt with what has happened yet, and she's like she was three months ago, and she doesn't understand why you aren't."

"That's about it. I just don't want to be around her yet. I know she's hurting from the damage that she caused, but I just…can't."

"It's going to take time, Padawan. I know that you want it all to be better right now, but it's going to take time to heal. At least you will talk to her."

"What do you mean?"

"I was talking with Obi-Wan yesterday, and Julia hasn't been trying at all to help her heal."

"Julia isn't ready yet," Jasmine informed him. "She should be ready to talk to me or Daddy about it when we get back from Bespin, but only if everybody leaves her alone about it."

He smiled, saying, "Is that so?"

"Yes. She's very stubborn, just like Daddy. She'll fix up fighters and things with Master Tiin until she feels better. She's going to be on Ilum for a while anyway. Maybe you should tell Daddy that she's not going to be ready to deal with Jae until we get back?"

"I'll talk with him about it. What about you?"

"I don't know. I seriously get the creeps when I'm around Jae. It's not her exactly, but there's something…around her."

He was quiet as he digested the information she presented him with. He found that talking with Jasmine always presented him with volumes of information that he didn't always quite know what to do with. He hadn't sensed what she was talking about, but he'd found that he didn't always pick up on the things that she talked about until after she'd told him about something. "Alright, well, what are we going to do about it?"

"I don't know. I'll get used to it. Well, maybe not used to it, but I can deal with it, for her sake."

"You're really worried about her, aren't you?"

"Her future is all weird. It always has been, but it's…clearer?"

"Clearer? Do you mean that you can see it more clearly?"

"Yes."

"Since when do you see the future?"

"I don't exactly," she qualified quickly.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Well, it's not in pictures."

"Ah. So what do you mean when you say Jae's future is weird?"

"She's like, all over everywhere. Like if you were writing on a page, and started in the middle, then the next sentence was the first one, then you turn the paper over, and write on the back, then the next sentence is sideways."

"So, it's not very clear what's going on."

"Well, it is but it's not. It's more like I know what order everything is supposed to be in, and what order everything happens in, and the two just don't add up."

"But isn't it always like that with Jae?"

"Well, yeah, but it would be easier if she did everything the way she was supposed to."

"And what do you think that the odds are that you'll actually get her to do it?"

"Um…four million, three hundred seventy thousand, eight hundred and three. To one."

"You've been hanging around with Threepio too much."

"Have not. He's just there all the time."

He didn't argue the point any further. She knew as well as he that Jae chose her own path, and it had taken some doing to convince Jasmine that it really was Jae's choice as to what path she would take. "So are you ready to go inside and face Jae?"

"Only if you come with me. When are we going to Bespin?"

"Later on today, Padawan, you know that. I can come inside with you if it will make you feel better," he agreed, and she scrambled off of his lap and he stood up, and they went inside.

* * *

Lando was the current focus of Sev'rance Tann's anger. He hoped he could weather the storm. He didn't really feel like dying. He focused on her words, hoping he could defuse her before she started removing essential parts from him or someone else. 

"Another ship that you oversaw the loading of failed to arrive today."

"I am very sorry about that."

"And do you know what that ship carried?"

"No. I oversaw the loading of at least half the ships that have left in the last six months."

"Tibanna gas!"

"Really? Was that all that it carried?"

"Yes. That was all that was on that ship."

"Maybe it was hit by pirates. I noticed a slight drop in the prices of Tibanna gas today."

"Why do you care what the price of Tibanna gas is?"

"Well, I'm used to checking it. It went up considerably when I cancelled all of my contracts, you know, and after that, it has been very steady. It usually isn't very volatile, so I am used to just checking it in the morning when I get up."

"So you don't think the ship was destroyed?" she asked him, and he could see her beginning to formulate a plan inside her head.

"I have no idea," he said, and really he didn't, but he professed a good deal more innocence than he actually had.

She nodded, and whirled, spinning her hair enough that it brushed him, and she left. He wondered then if she in some twisted weird way, actually _liked_ him, and that's why she didn't kill him when he made her life hell. He suppressed a shudder at the thought, and went back to overseeing the ship that his people were loading.

* * *

Jaedrea had gotten as much help as she needed for the paper that she was trying to write, all that remained was putting it together in her own words, which was the hard part, for her, at least. Jasmine had left almost as soon as she'd let herself into their parents' quarters. She was saddened by her sister's discomfort, but at least she'd sometimes try. She actually hadn't seen Julia for several days, and it would be at least another week before she would, because she'd already left for Ilum. She hadn't even said good-bye. 

Jae was about half-way through the second page when the balcony door opened, and Luke and Jasmine stepped in. "Hi, Jasmine," Jae said, in what she hoped was a friendly tone. She'd never had to think about what she'd said before, and it made her feel weird to have to do it with her sister of all people.

"Hi, Jae. What'cha doing?" Jasmine asked.

It took her a couple of seconds to recover from the shock from the fact that her sister actually wanted to talk to her. "I'm writing a paper on the nature of the Soresu," she said mournfully.

"Oh. I have to do a paper on lightsaber combat while I'm away, too."

"Away?" she asked, worried. "Why are you going to be away?"

Jasmine glanced at Luke, who shrugged. "I'm going to Bespin with everyone."

"Oh. Obi-Wan said something about your Master doing something for Daddy. Is that it?"

"Yes, Daddy doesn't want to go to Bespin, but we still need to go rescue the person there."

"Lando," Luke said.

"Yeah, him," Jasmine agreed.

"So this is like a real mission and stuff?"

"Yeah, I guess. It's just something that needs done. I don't want to leave for a while after that, though. But it shouldn't be too big of a deal."

"Why don't you want to go?"

"As sick as I was after I came back from Bothawui…you don't remember," she said, sitting down in the chair closest to Jae, but on the side that Luke was on. "We went to Bothawui. It was just supposed to be a nice little mission where nothing interesting happened."

"And?"

"Something happened. I was so sick after that I really don't know what all really happened."

"It's a Skywalker thing." Jae said authoritatively.

Jasmine laughed. "I think you're right. The last name is a curse."

After a few seconds, Jasmine picked up the datapad that Jae was working on, and looked over what she'd written. "Do you want to help me?" Jae asked timidly.

"Have you packed, Jasmine?" Luke asked before she could answer.

Jasmine looked up at him, considering. "I did last night; I think I just have a couple of things I need to throw in my case before we go."

Luke nodded. "So you'll need half an hour?"

Jasmine nodded. "Is everybody else ready?"

"That depends on your definition of ready. I doubt Leia will ever be ready, but she will be going on time."

"Which is? No one ever tells me what gets decided while I'm in class."

"In two hours."

Jasmine shook her head, and turned her attention back to Jae. "I can help for a little while, Jae. I always did better in practice at Soresu than you did anyway."

"I think there's a lot of time when you don't give yourself enough credit, Jaz," she said, and the slightly shocked look on Jasmine's face told her to drop the subject. "But I'd like it if you would help me."

"Ok, so where did you want to go with this?" Jasmine asked, settling down to business. Luke continued to watch over the girls as they worked through the paper, silent, his eyes closed half the time, and they worked on Jae's paper. It was slightly unsettling to Jae that she didn't get to spend time alone with her sister, but right then, she got to spend some time with Jaz, and that was what was really important to her. She didn't want to lose the connection that she had with her sisters, and considering the mess that she felt inside her own head, she wondered sometimes if she'd actually lost that connection, and would have to re-form it.

* * *

Leia felt a bit afraid at the prospect of going to Bespin. She had not been there since they'd run away from the _Executor_ and Vader, and ended up running right into Vader there. But there was no Vader to meet her there. The trepidation that she was feeling made no sense to her well-trained Jedi sensibilities. _It is only a place,_ she told herself. But it was a place that was giving her the jitters nonetheless. 

"Leia, everything will be fine," Luke said, but she could tell he was just as tense about this mission as she was.

"I think I would feel better if Dad were coming."

He seemed to consider it for a moment. "I don't think it will make much of a difference one way or the other," he said, frowning. "But if you really want him to come with us you can ask him."

"I'll do that, thank you," she said, and walked over to where he was standing, watching over the proceedings, and saying good-bye to the four of them.

"Dad, I wish you would come with us," she said.

He smiled at her, one of those times that she rarely got to see now, a genuine smile, and said, "I would really like to come, but I feel like I can't leave Jaedrea in the vulnerable state that she's in, otherwise I would be there in a heartbeat. I appreciate that you asked, though."

Jasmine walked up to them then. "I'm going to ride in the cockpit while we take off. Master Luke says it's cool to watch the sky fade to stars."

"Is that the only reason why you get to ride in the cockpit?" their father asked her.

"No, I'm supposed to be paying attention to the way that Han and Chewie make the ship go."

"Do you have a particular job, or are you just watching?" he asked.

"Just watching. I'm supposed to stay out of the way."

"Well, you're pretty good at that."

She hugged him, and then said, "Love you, Daddy. Jae needs you. Don't let her be alone for a while."

"What do you mean?"

"Just, she needs someone to be there with her."

"What about when she's asleep?"

"I think that will be ok. Maybe…"

"Alright. I'll keep an eye on your sister for you, since you can't."

"Thanks, Daddy," she said, and then ran off to find Luke.

"She's really worried about what's going to happen to Jaedrea," Leia said.

"Yeah, I can't say that I really blame her. She's not exactly right with herself yet. I think it's going to be a long road for her."

"I hope she has an easier time with it than you did."

"Well, I don't think it will be that bad. But it will be a trial for her. She's not going to be in this alone. We'll work through it with her."

"Alright, Dad. I'll see you when we get home. Take good care of the twins for me," she said with a hug.

"Ah, yes. My nice boring grandchildren," he said with a smile.

"Boring?"

"Yes, well they don't really do that much yet, do they?" he teased her.

"They do quite enough for me, thank you very much. I don't want to think about what will happen when they are two."

"When they are two, you will probably be leaving them with Padmé and me more because you'll be ready to pull your hair out, and asking how in the world your mother ever considered Liz, much less any of the others."

"Probably so. Were we really that bad?"

"No, but I have Jae to compare you two to," he said with a big smile.

* * *

Cedric was exhausted from the debates, but it was finally over, at least for this first day. It had been a fascinating look into the way that the political process could work. He hadn't even participated that much, more watching after he'd said his piece, and he still had homework to do, so that he didn't get behind in his classes, a condition that Shaak Ti had imposed on him when she'd agreed to let him do this. Not that he minded, but it wasn't going to make this easy. The consensus seemed to be that Mon Mothma's proposal represented the perpetuation of the current broken system, which was an idea that he had put forth. He felt that she'd had some good ideas, though. She had presented a very good way to standardize the way that representation was determined for a Representative house, and a couple of other minor things. He hoped that he would be able to work them into whatever draft was finally presented to the Senate. 

But homework came first at this point. He put to the back of his mind the ideas he wanted to work into a final draft, and stepped into the Temple, and headed for his Master's quarters.

* * *

Anakin watched as everyone finally boarded the ship. Luke had been agreeable to Ash going; they'd been friends, clanmates, for practically as long as either of them could remember. It wasn't surprising that he would want Ash to go. Orlin, as good of a planner as he was, Luke had decided to leave behind. His Master was something of an unknown quantity for Luke, and he didn't want to deal with someone new while he was trying to deal with everything else. _Poor kid's going to be bored out of his mind with no one to torment. _From what he'd seen, Orlin was a good kid, and held his own against two of the four youngest Skywalkers. It said something about his character. The fact that Cedric switched sides against Jasmine didn't hurt his chances with her either. _She's going to have to learn to increase her speed with the Force if she's going to play with the boys like she has been._ He smiled, thinking how on their birthday, it was Jae he was worried about trying to out-do the rest of the Padawans. He watched as his Padawan, Luke, Jasmine, Leia, Han, Chewie and Aayla Secura boarded the ship. He wished he could go with them, but they were all capable. He would have to simply trust in the Force and their abilities to keep them safe. He just had the strange feeling that it wouldn't be enough. 

He turned to leave and nearly ran into Jae, who looked disappointed. "I wanted to say good-bye."

"Well, Jasmine was kind enough to inform me that Han is letting her sit in the cockpit. You can wave."

She nodded her agreement, and he picked her up, and they waived to the ship as it started to take off. He could see Jasmine waving back, and then the ship turned as it headed out into space.

"Daddy?"

"What?"

"I've never been alone before."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, Jasmine's on her way to Bespin and Julia is on her way to Ilum, and I can't even feel her anymore. I'm going to be alone."

"Ah. Well, you still have me and Master Obi-Wan."

"It's not the same thing," she told him in a way that said she thought he was being dense.

* * *

Jasmine looked out the front of the _Millennium Falcon_, and saw the beautiful pattern of stars before Han let the ship slide into hyperspace. He was strange. He wasn't a Jedi, so she had no expectation that he would understand her. He was married to Leia, so she expected that at some point he would want to talk to her, but she didn't know what she would say to him if he did. Luke had said that it was ok if she wanted to be up front, just so long as she didn't get in Han and Chewie's way. 

"So, kid, how you doing back there?" Han asked her, but he didn't turn to face her as he was still in the middle of getting the ship off the planet.

"Fine," she said quietly.

"Are you doing ok in school?"

"Yes, so far. My Padawan classes are quite challenging."

She watched in the reflection of the glass as one corner of his mouth quirked up in a sort of a smile. "I hear you're in one class that makes Leia green with envy."

She ducked her head shyly. "I'm in Master Obi-Wan's class. She's going to be in that class, too, I think. She's almost done with her training though."

He was quiet for a few moments, then he asked, "Did you know that your brother and your dad saved my life once?"

"Really?" she asked, curious, but still timid around Han. He hadn't been around all of her life the way Mara had, and he was _a lot_ older than Leia. Like, almost as old as Daddy.

"Yeah, really. I was escorting them on a mission to the Outer Rim. Something like this one, actually. Luke was still a Padawan then, and I guess the Council decided that his dad would watch him close enough to keep the kid out of trouble."

"Oh, when they went to Honoghr?"

"Yeah, that's the mission. Well, I got myself in a little bit of a bind, and sort of fell into a Gundark nest."

"And Daddy and Master Luke had to rescue you?" she guessed.

"That's right. Saved my sorry hide."

She giggled softly. Somehow, she felt that her sister's husband wasn't going to be too bad of an addition to the family.

Once they were in hyperspace, she got bored fairly quickly, since there were no stars to look at or anything. After a few minutes Han unbuckled himself, and turned around. "You can go in the back if you want, there's not going to be much to see until we revert to realspace again."

She nodded, and unbuckled herself as he got up to stretch. "Well Chewie, how was Kashyyyk after I left?" she listened as the Wookiee responded but she didn't understand what he said. She headed off to the back, to where Luke was.

* * *

Obi-Wan looked up from the report he was studying as Anakin and Jaedrea entered his quarters. "Well, Padawan, did you get your report finished?" he asked as Anakin set her down. He stretched out on the other couch as she sat down beside him. 

"Mostly," she answered. "Jasmine helped me with some of it."

"That was very nice of her."

"Luke watched us the whole time though."

"If you can get that finished up, then you should be able to go back to school tomorrow if you like," he said, ignoring her comment about Luke.

"Ok. Can you help me finish it?"

"I can do that. Let me see what you have," he said, and she handed him a datapad.

"Why was Luke watching us?"

"Probably because Jasmine asked him to, Jaedrea," he said. She didn't look particularly happy about that.

"Why would she do that?"

"I would say that is a question for you to ask her."

"But why Luke?" she asked, sounding thoroughly confused.

_We're going to have to tell her sometime,_ came a thought from Anakin.

_I know. Hiding it from her this long may have been a mistake. _He sighed. "Because he is her Master."

He watched first shock then understanding cross her face. "Oh, that makes everything make so much more sense now."

"Everything what?" Anakin asked her pointedly. Obi-Wan shot him a look. He was coming close to demanding, and that was behavior more in line with the way he acted as Vader.

"Well, like I don't know, lots of little stuff mostly. Like why she asked him to watch over us, and why she's going to Bespin," she paused for a moment, then asked, "I didn't take that well the first time, did I?"

"No, Padawan, you didn't. But you seem to be back on the right track again, so we shall see what we can do to get you through this," he said, and he went back to reading the report that she'd written. It was a very large paper considering her age, but it was not beyond her capabilities, and the subject of the paper was something that required a long dissertation to properly explain. She had done very well from what he could see, and it was clear to him what were Jaedrea's thoughts, where Dak-Tin had given her suggestions that she'd taken, and where Jasmine had helped. It was actually mostly Jaedrea's writing, he found to his astonishment. And it was a reasonably good paper, as well.

"Do you really think I'm ready to go back to school?"

"I think that the longer that you wait to return, the harder it will be. You've been out of school for nearly four weeks as it stands."

"Four weeks?" she asked incredulously.

"Yes, Padawan. I think it's high time for you to get back into class now."

"I didn't know that I was out of school before my accident."

"I don't know that anyone has had reason to bring it up. But it is time, I think, for you to get back into a routine that includes other people."

"Who all is in my classes? I don't ever remember going to any of these classes."

"That's true, you wouldn't. Well, I believe that Julia is in your Flight class, which is first thing in the morning. Julia is also in your Math class, and she's taking the same Galactic History program that you are, but you have your forms class then. She was also in your 'Other Uses of the Force' class, but you said that you didn't want to try to catch up with that in addition to your other classes."

"So Jul's like in all of my classes?"

"Half your classes, but she could help you with Galactic History, or vice versa."

"But I haven't even talked to her in like forever."

"Well," Anakin said, "She's having a tough time reconciling everything in her head."

"I'd like it if she talked to me."

"I'd like to see the two of you talking, too, but I don't think it's really going to do any good to push her about it right now," Anakin said with a note of warning in his voice.

"So, when?"

"Well, when it's time. She needs time to deal with the injuries that both of you sustained. She'll come around eventually, if only because Jasmine won't leave her alone about it."

"Ok. I hope you're right, Daddy."

"I don't think it's anything to worry about yet. I'd say in a way it's almost worse for her than for either you or Jasmine."

She scrunched her face up in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Well, she went through everything, but she doesn't have any scars to show for it. She actually went through the whole experience. Both of the two of you were unconscious for a good deal of it."

"Jasmine was unconscious?"

"She was hurt pretty badly. Master Allie sedated her," Anakin told her. They'd been careful with Jae, but it seemed like she was finding her new balance, and it was in a much less precarious point than the one she'd previously been in.

"Oh," she said, and she looked down at her fingers.

"She was never in too much danger, Jae. And it seems like she's forgiven you, at least partly."

"I know, but…"

"You have yet to forgive yourself, Padawan?" Obi-Wan said, reading her as easily as he did Anakin.

"I guess that's it. I mean, she's going to carry scars for the rest of her life from what I did to her. What _I_ did. I don't know how to deal with that."

Obi-Wan was quiet. He'd had his own demons to deal with as far as doing things he'd regretted later, but Anakin had so very many more, and was in a much better position to answer this question. It took Anakin a long time to come up with an answer to that one. "You have to accept sometimes that you did something wrong. It hurts to do that, but if you can't say that what happened was wrong, then you have a bigger problem. You learn what lessons you can from what happened, and then you have to move on."

"What did you do wrong, Daddy?"

Anakin sighed. _I don't suppose that you can narrow it down to just one thing, can you? _Anakin glared at him, and he smiled innocently. "I suppose one thing I regret is the way that I handled the situation with Han and Leia."

"Oh," she said. "I think he's still scared of you."

"I'm sure. But there's little that I can do about that right now, until he convinces himself that I'm not going to kill him."

"That's silly, Daddy. You wouldn't kill anybody."

"I would if it were necessary."

"But not Han."

"No, not Han." Anakin agreed. "I'll let you two be. It feels so strange not to have Ash here."

"Oh, it takes getting used to, but eventually you learn to cope," Obi-Wan said, teasingly.

"Good night, Master," Anakin said with a mocking bow.

"Good night, Anakin," Obi-Wan said, then turned to Jaedrea and they started working on her report.


	27. Chapter 26

**AN:Dad's been doing better, thanks everyone for your concern. **

**I'm really tired tonight, so where I would normally say something bright and inspired here, I just don't have the energy. I hope you all enjoy this, and on with the chapter!**

* * *

Chapter 26

_Alone, alone, _the word echoed along the corridor Jae was walking down. She glanced around, but though the hallway was brightly lit, it was made of some matte black material that absorbed every bit of the light that was shining from the ceiling. She entered a room, off to the left. There was someone there, someone she knew. She looked around as the door opened before her. It was a black room, like the black hallway, but there was a little relief for the eye, since there was furniture. She looked at the lone figure in the room, but she didn't know who he was. He felt very familiar though. He was kneeling on the floor in front of her. "Rise, Lord Vader," she heard, felt herself speak the words, but it wasn't her voice.

The cloaked figure rose, towered over her, but she wasn't afraid, because she had made him the way that he was. "You had a good rest at your home?"

"Yes, Master. It was most recuperative," the masked figure told her. They walked slowly along, down the corridor further.

"Good, my friend. We shall have a bit of time before you need to leave. I have charged you with the military, but there are officers competent enough for the time being, while you learn to control your new abilities."

"Yes, Master."

"It's really too bad that you couldn't defeat Kenobi. I sense he will create further trouble for us."

"I do not sense that, Master. I sense that it will be a long time before we meet again, and when we do, he will die."

"You are certain?"

"Yes. He will die the next time that we meet."

"Very well, my friend, I won't trouble you further about it. He is only one Jedi, after all."

"He will pay for his crimes."

"Very well, my friend. We have work to do."

"Yes, Master," the black cloaked figure said, and they turned into another room.

Jaedrea gasped as Obi-Wan shook her awake, away from the nightmarishly black world she'd been dreaming about.

* * *

Jasmine woke up. There was some darkness somewhere, something that she should be fighting, but she couldn't. She waited while the sensations of cloying darkness abated, and then she examined the problem. It was centered on Jaedrea, but the dynamics of it had changed. She didn't know what exactly it meant, but it wasn't anything immediate, or life-threatening. Uncle Obi-Wan was making things better, whatever was wrong. She smiled, and turned over, going back to sleep. Uncle Obi-Wan made things better a lot.

"Something wrong, Padawan?" Luke asked from the doorway after the door hissed all the way open.

"I don't know yet, Master," she said as she sat up to look at him.

"Jae?"

She made a face. "It's got something to do with her. She's always been at the center of whatever trouble is going on at the Temple anyway. Uncle Obi-Wan is working on whatever's wrong."

"So what woke you?"

She shrugged. "Whatever's happening is weird. It…makes big ripples in the Force."

"Doesn't Jae always?"

"I'm used to hers," she said dismissively, "This is something else entirely."

He nodded. "So are you ok?"

She nodded. "I think it's over. I was going to go back to sleep."

"Alright. I'm here if you need me."

She smiled brightly at him. "I know. You're the best Master ever."

He broke out into a grin at that. There had been at least once that he'd said that to Qui-Gon, and he was sure that just about every Padawan said that at some point during their apprenticeship. "I certainly hope so."

"Good night, Master," she said, not-quite-successfully suppressing a yawn.

"Good night. I'll see you in the morning."

She mumbled agreement as she curled up in the small bunk and drifted back into sleep.

* * *

Obi-Wan woke, echoes of dreams coming into his mind. He hadn't gotten dream echoes from Anakin for a very long time, and he'd forgotten how intense they could be. As he sorted through what he was seeing, he realized that he was getting two views of whatever was happening. Jaedrea was having the same dream that Anakin was. That in itself was disturbing, but the subject matter made it even more so. He went to Jaedrea's room and woke her, and as he did, he felt Anakin snap out of his own dream. He sent soothing thoughts to both of them, gathering Jaedrea up in a hug as he did so, and he took her out into the common room. He felt Anakin's decision to come see what was going on—he wouldn't be getting back to sleep that night anyway. So he waited. Jaedrea wasn't too terribly disturbed by what she'd seen, probably because she hadn't known what was coming next.

"Obi-Wan?" Anakin asked from the door.

"I'm here," he answered. He hadn't bothered to turn any lights on, so the only source of illumination was the moonlight coming in from outside. Anakin padded heavily over to where he chose to sit most any time he was in this room.

"What happened?"

"I'm trying to figure that out."

"I want to go back to bed," Jae said sleepily.

"Go ahead," Obi-Wan said, and she got off his lap and went back to her room. Once her door had closed, he said, "She was having the same dream you were, but from a different point-of-view."

"There would have only been two…" Anakin's voice trailed off as he realized the implications of what Obi-Wan was saying.

"So, can you tell me about what was going on in the dream? I only caught a little of it."

"There's not that much to tell, Master," he said, shrugging. "It was a memory, actually, rather than it being a dream. It was the first time that I'd come back to Coruscant as Vader, after I'd gone to Vjun to oversee the construction of Bast Castle. I'd been gone for, oh, a year, a year and a half."

"So you were just talking with Sidious?"

"The part that I dreamt, I had been waiting for a while, and he came in. We talked for a little, and went to another room. That was when I woke up."

"I woke Jaedrea up, and felt you wake at the same time. I wonder if there is a connection," Obi-Wan said, stroking his beard absently.

"I don't know. I don't like what's going on."

"I don't like it any more than you do. I would say that if Sidious were still around, he would still be trying to influence her."

"We have to consider that as a possibility. Jasmine says she can sense the dark side around Jae still."

"What does she mean by that?"

Obi-Wan waited as Anakin tried to remember what exactly she'd said; he had been running himself ragged trying to make sure everything was done for this trip to Bespin on top of his normal duties, and he hadn't been sleeping all that well. "She said it's hovering around her, waiting for her."

"I don't like the sound of that."

"But it sounds like something Sidious would do if he were able."

"From what I know of him, he's not one to give up easily."

"So what was next in your memory?"

"Sith training," Anakin spat the words out like they tasted very bitter.

"I don't think I like the sound of that."

"You shouldn't. If she was dreaming a memory, be very glad that you woke her before the dream got any further than it did."

"So, shall I assume that this involved torture?"

"Oh, you can assume that. The physical torture was only the smallest part of it, but it was, at least according to Sidious, a necessary part."

"So, what did he do to you, Anakin?"

Anakin was silent, but Obi-Wan felt his inner turmoil through the Force. This was one of many things that Anakin hadn't reconciled with his life here, and now it was being brought to the forefront with very little warning. "I'm not sure where to start, Master."

"For now, I just wanted to know what he did that day, just in case the dream that she was having returns."

The quickly suppressed wave of horror matched his own, but it got Anakin talking. "He was trying to train me to use Force Lightning, but it kept shorting out my prosthetics."

"I've seen you short your arm out before." Obi-Wan said. With the sole exception of living through Anakin's memory of Mustafar, it had been the worst day of his life in regards to his first Padawan.

Anakin sorted through what he'd said and found the memory Obi-Wan had been referring to. "I remember that now. That was mild in comparison." Anakin shifted in his chair. "I should go home. Padmé's wondering where I am."

"Go ahead, Padawan. You might want to put your shields back in place before you go, though."

Chagrined, Anakin did so. "I forget myself sometimes, Master."

"Go to bed. I'll let you know if something else is going on."

"I know. Thank you."

"You're welcome, Anakin. Good night."

"Good night."

* * *

That night Cedric went home to finish putting together his notes on the Vippit's submission. He was surprised that Senator Organa had even let it in. It was nothing but a huge bureaucracy, it had a four chamber legislature at least he thought it was a legislature. He really had a hard time identifying the 3 principle parts of the government. Everything was based on committees. Just thinking about it gave Cedric a headache. His mother came in after he'd been going over it for about an hour and a half.

"How is the revolution coming, sweetheart?" Padmé asked her currently youngest son.

"As well as can be expected, Mom. I'm disappointed in Mon Mothma's proposal though. I thought she was more creative than that," he said.

"Change isn't easy. Mon Mothma doesn't see the need for it, apparently."

"Then why is she even there? Why not just fight us in the Senate?"

"Maybe she's curious about what the committee will come up with. Just because she doesn't see the need for it right now doesn't mean she can't be convinced. If this is going to happen you and the committee will have to convince a lot of people, why not start with her?"

"I suppose you are right. She would be a good ally."

"I'm proud that you are working on this."

"How could I not? Between this and school, it helps keep my mind off of her."

"Is that the only reason you are doing it?"

"No, I'd be doing this anyway, but it is a nice side effect to have."

"Which one are you reading now?"

"The Vippit Senator's. I don't remember his name. I'm not seeing anything redeeming about it. Look at this—each planet has to apply for membership into the Republic; the Government is a hodgepodge of committees and subcommittees. Each member world practically has each of these committees created when they join. There are no real elections to speak of. I don't like thinking it, but it seems they built this precisely to ensure the Galactic government couldn't do ANYTHING."

"Well, let's go through it and examine each part. What is the first article?"

"The membership requirements, the obviously think this is really important, but it isn't going to work because all planets are members of the Republic."

"Are all planets really members of the Republic?"

"Well, most send a senator," Cedric said.

"When was the last time you saw a Hutt Senator? Or a Nemodian senator? Or a Senator from Tattooine?"

"Ok…ok…I see your point, but how are we going to have peace unless everyone is a member?"

"Do we really have peace now? In the past year how many Jedi have died in the line of duty?"

"Too many, the only blessing is that I haven't known them personally."

"Does that sound like peace to you?" Padmé asked.

"Now that you mention it, not really, especially considering that the Sith are only directly responsible for one of those deaths."

"Right. Your own presentation made a pretty strong case that we need to have real membership. The raw numbers may go down with this, but all it's really doing is reflecting reality."

"It would help prioritizing who gets our help. Member systems come first. What do you think of the requirements they have here?"

"Let me see," his mother looked over the document then continued, "They seem pretty straight forward, population is the big one. You might make some additions, but this works."

"Ok, Mom." Cedric answered, and they spent the next four hours tearing apart the rest of the document.

* * *

Mara walked into her old Master's quarters. "Mara," he said, "I'm rather surprised to see you here today. What brings you by?"

"Well, with Luke and Jasmine gone, our quarters are so quiet. I'm not used to it."

He smiled at her. "Missing them already?"

"Luke wouldn't let me go with them, Master Obi-Wan. It's…"

"Frustrating?"

"Yes, Master."

"Well, I don't think you'll let yourself be on the sidelines for long. I'm proud of the Jedi that you have become."

"Thank you, Master," she said, blushing a little. It wasn't often that he praised her. "Where is your new Padawan, anyway?"

"School. I sent her back today."

"Is she going to be ok?"

"She will be what she always is."

"Trouble?" she asked.

"Yes. Just like you," he said, teasing her. "I had such high hopes when I took you on as my Padawan. Then you went and turned into another Skywalker."

"It's your destiny, Master. Besides, if you'd paid more attention to the two of us, you would have seen it even then."

"I saw it and hoped you would eventually come to your senses. There is a difference."

"Well, I don't see much of one."

"Oh, there was. As much of an age difference as there was between the two of you and a power difference as well, I was afraid that I might have a problem with the two of you having to wait a good length of time for your Knighting."

"So that's why you pushed me so hard."

"Well, one of the reasons. You needed it, too."

"I don't doubt that, Master. I don't think I would be half the Jedi that I am if I hadn't been your Padawan."

"That's very kind of you, Padawan mine."

"Hey! You've got someone else to call that now."

"Ah, so I do. Well, you know, if you're so bored, you could go find yourself a Padawan."

"I don't think so," Mara said, shaking her head.

"Why not? Ferus and Anakin were trained together that way."

"That doesn't count."

"Why not?"

"The two of you both had Padawans before you got married. And Master Siri never took another Padawan."

"Well, I train Skywalkers. It's rather demanding for both of us. But Ferus complemented Anakin in a lot of ways, once they stopped fighting each other and started working together."

"And Jasmine isn't going to be demanding?"

"She will have her moments, of course, but I think Luke has her well in hand. She's not Anakin, after all."

"And I don't think I need to be trying to deal with two new people in my life at the same time."

"Ah, that's true, I suppose."

"You're trying to work me around to it anyway, aren't you?" Mara demanded.

"I would do no such thing. If you decided that it was an appropriate course of action after we talked, I wouldn't be disappointed, but I'm not going to try to talk you into something that you don't want to do."

She huffed. "I don't care what you say; you're trying to talk me into it."

"I don't see it that way. If I were trying to talk you into it, I would suggest that we go for a walk, then steer our direction to the observatory walk."

"That would just be cruel, Master," she said shaking her finger at him.

"I suppose it could be. The decision to take on a Padawan usually takes many long hours of meditation, and many weeks of discussion with or about any number of potential Padawans."

"You've never done it that way," she said, her eyes narrowing accusatorially.

"I have so. Once."

"You have three Padawans, Master."

"Just because one of them was foisted on me the day I was Knighted, and one chose me the day she was born, can't be helped."

"Weren't you supposed to train Leia?"

"Oh, Anakin would have had it that way, but I had known for a very long time that his plans were not to be. I just never had the heart to tell him. And I never had to. Aayla was kind enough to explain to Leia that she didn't have to have me as her Master if the fit wasn't right."

"What did she say to him? I haven't heard this story."

"Ah, that was an interesting day. I was over there, and she came home from school, and she walked up to him and, bold as she ever is, said to him. 'Uncle Obi-Wan isn't going to be my Master.'"

"Oh, I can't imagine that he would have been happy about that."

"No, he wasn't really. He asked her why, and she seriously told him, 'because he's Uncle Obi-Wan.'"

"As much sense as that makes, I don't think Anakin would have gotten it."

"He didn't. I had to sit him down and have a very long discussion about the appropriateness of a Padawan and Master's relationship. You remember that it took Leia about four years after that to decide that she really wanted to be a Jedi, and take Aayla up on her offer."

"I remember. I never quite understood why she waited so long."

"She was even then, considering a full-time career in politics. I've spoken with her Master, and Aayla had to walk her through that decision again."

"The whole thing with the past and future thing?" she asked, waving her hands around for emphasis.

"Yes," he said, "and she came to the same conclusion; as a Jedi she could do more than as a politician. Though from some of what I've been hearing is stirring in the Senate, she may soon have the opportunity to do both."

"Really? Are they actually going to do this Jedi Senator thing?"

"Something slightly more extensive, possibly. It may be a good length of time before we see. That's where Cedric's been."

"At the Senate?"

"Not precisely. A select few Senators and other politically-minded individuals are trying to correct some of the inherent problems with the current system by writing a Constitution. Cedric was asked to try to write something for this Convention, and he's been working very hard on it. I don't know if the boy's slept in the last two days, because he's got to keep up with his classes as well."

"He's becoming very driven, isn't he, Master?"

"Oh, that's one of the few personality traits he seems to have actually inherited from his father."

"Oh, I think he's more like Anakin than most people want to see. He's a rebel at heart."

"You think so?"

"Well, if you were rebelling against Anakin, how would you go about it?"

Obi-Wan stared at her for a moment. "I think you're right."

"Of course I'm right. I am a Skywalker after all."

"And not a bit conceded about it, either."

"No, of course not."

"Aren't your parents coming in to see you soon?" Obi-Wan asked after he'd had a good laugh.

"I suppose. I don't know what they're doing nowadays."

"Well, the same as the rest of us. Living."

"Master, I don't know what to do with my parents."

"You love them, the same as you love the rest of your family."

"I suppose. It's just that they always felt so useless with me, even Mom."

"Yes, you were quite the precocious child, as I recall."

"I don't know how they ended up together, really. They are so different."

"Well, considering that your father is one of our best pilots, I would say that's probably how they met. How they stay together is another matter entirely."

"I don't know. It's a mystery to me."

"One of the greatest mysteries is how love works."

"I think I'm glad I'm an only child, though. I don't think Mom and Dad could have dealt with someone else after me."

"Or before. They were married for nearly five years before you came along."

She raised an eyebrow at that, but didn't comment on what he'd said. "I hope that they've mellowed out."

"Spending a year on the Outer Rim in deep cover isn't something that's likely to mellow someone out."

"I don't know about that."

"You're right. These are the two people that might mellow out from being out there."

She shrugged. She'd long ago accepted that she had the weirdest parents in the galaxy. "So you really think I should take a Padawan?"

"That's entirely up to you, Mara. But it's something that you should consider. There are about fifty younglings waiting on Masters at this Temple alone. The Council has been considering sending the lot of them off to the other Temples to see if we can get more of them paired off."

"It's getting bad?"

"Well, we've been expecting for some time to hit a ceiling on Initiates. And it's really not that we don't have enough Jedi to take them on, but it's such a delicate issue, spending ten to twenty years with someone, day in and day out that no one wants to push the issue."

"So, sending them to the other Temples?"

"Well, there are about a dozen Knights who've been hovering around the Initiates, and some of them have been doing that for a month, some of them for longer than that even. It may be that since all the Initiates aren't all in the same place any more, that they aren't finding the one they should be training."

"Ah. So you want to rotate them?"

"Yes, that's a good word for it."

"That sounds like a good idea, Master. Maybe every year, you should do it, a few weeks in each Temple?"

"That sounds like an admirable suggestion. I'll see what the Council has to say about adopting the policy on an annual basis."

"That sounds like a very good way to make sure that everyone who's looking has a chance to see all the available Initiates," Mara said, hoping that the Council would do something about the Initiates they had soon. She hadn't realized that it was as bad as it was, though from what she knew, seventeen of those were in the triplet's Clan. That still meant over thirty Initiates in the last four years hadn't found Masters. "Are there any close to thirteen yet?"

"Are you going to go looking?" he asked slyly.

"No, Master, I told you I have too much other stuff to be doing, especially with Ardrya on the way."

"Of course," he said, "And to answer your question, the only ones who are twelve are like Leia; they aren't ready for that step in their lives yet. Most of them have latched onto particular Jedi, but they are…in negotiations."

"You've pestered Uncle Ferus about this, too, haven't you?"

"I haven't had a chance. He's always out on missions, but I will mention it to him the next time that I see him."

"Good. Maybe you'll get further with him this time."

"He's never trained a Padawan. It's not common for a Jedi to attain their Masterhood without that step. Some of those on the Council say that it's an essential step that we shouldn't permit anyone to skip, no matter what they do."

"He's been doing the same kind of stuff Mom and Dad have been, right?"

"Yes, similar. A Padawan in that situation would stick out like a sore thumb."

"That is probably why Mom hasn't taken a Padawan on either."

"I would say so."

"Well, I don't know if I'll consider it after the baby is born, but I know I won't before. And I have to talk to Luke about it."

"I understand. I just wanted you to think about it."

"I will, Master. Thanks for the talk."

"You're always welcome here, Mara," he said, giving her a kiss on the cheek as she got up to leave.

* * *

Luke sat in the lounge of the _Millennium Falcon_. It was oddly different, and yet it didn't look different to him. It smelled different, though. It was no longer the filthy smuggler's ship, but one with that look carefully cultivated over the years. He closed his eyes, remembering the first lesson that he'd had in the Force was in this room, but it wasn't in this room, it was in the other place, the other _Falcon_, a universe apart from where he was right then. And yet, it was this room, on this ship. He hadn't even known his sister's name at that point. He'd just known that he'd been drawn to her, connected to her, fascinated by her. She still fascinated him; she was opposite to him in so many ways. She's inherited their mother's looks; he'd inherited their father's. He'd inherited their father's skills and passions, but their mother's temperament. She had inherited Anakin's temper, but Padmé's skills in politics.

"Stop it," Leia said, and his eyes snapped open. She was grinning up at him.

"What?"

"You're reminiscing."

"So?"

"_Loudly_."

"Oh. Sorry."

"Don't you have something better to do than to think about the beginning of the Galactic Civil War?"

"Yes, but sometimes it feels like it was so long ago."

"I know," she said, giving him a hug. "But don't you remember the first Jedi mission you took in this ship?"

He thought about it for a minute. "I do. Though you spent a lot more time in this ship than I did."

"That's because you flew the ship you rode in, and I wasn't of the piloty persuasion."

"Piloty persuasion?" Luke asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Like you and Dad."

"If you say so. I always thought you were a pretty good pilot."

"I am, but that doesn't mean I _want_ to be a pilot."

"Oh."

She reached up and ruffled his hair. "I don't get how you got to be so tall."

"Look at Cedric. He's as tall as I am and he's only thirteen. He's going to be as tall as Dad."

"So are you implying that you aren't tall?"

"Yes, I am."

"There you two are," Han said as he entered the lounge.

"Did you need us for something?" Leia asked him.

"No, not really. Jasmine is looking for you, Luke."

"She knows how to find me if she really wants me."

Han shook his head at that. "Alright," he agreed, though he didn't seem to believe what Luke was saying. "Is she always this shy?"

"She's doing the shy routine with you?" Luke asked.

"Yes, she hardly says anything to me," Han answered.

"She'll warm up to you, Han. Give it a little time. She hasn't gotten a chance to get to know you very well yet." Leia surprised him by answering.

"You think so?"

"Yes. She just needs to figure you out," Luke confirmed. "I'm going to go see if she needs anything."

"Worried about her?" Leia asked with a smile.

"No, not yet."

"Not yet?" Leia questioned him.

"She had a nightmare last night," Luke said, sighing.

"But it's not like when Dad does right?" Leia asked worriedly, and he felt her surprise that she even knew to ask the question.

"No, her nightmares aren't anything like Dad's, thankfully. But they have their own issues," he said, and then left. He wasn't prepared to explain what Jaz told him about Jae.

* * *

Anakin was waiting at home when Jaedrea came home from school. Padmé had gone to talk to Bail, to see how everything was going in the Senate, partly at his encouragement. She actively disliked talk of Vader, and he didn't know what Jaedrea would want to talk about. If the dream had substantially affected her, it would probably be the first thing out of her mouth.

He was working on an observation report for where he was with Ash's training. It was basically just something to track the progress of each Padawan; someone with an affinity for numbers and statistics would take it and turn it into something more meaningful to the order as a whole later, but he still had to write it, and it was easy enough that he could do it while he was waiting on Jae and the rest of his mind was speculating on what was going on with her.

He heard the door slide open, and felt Jae's presence. His eyes flicked to her of their own volition. "Hi, Daddy."

"Hello, Jaedrea."

"Is anybody else here?"

"No, just me."

"Good. I wanted to talk to you."

"Really, what about?" he asked, though he had a pretty good idea already.

"Well, that weird dream that I was having when Master Obi-Wan woke me up. It felt kinda like a nightmare, but it hadn't gotten to the bad part yet."

"Did you want to tell me about it?"

She shrugged. "I was walking down a black-black hallway."

"That's how it starts?"

"Yeah. Then I go in this room where there's a person, except they aren't a person."

"How can you be a person and not be a person?" he asked, but it was a question that he already knew the answer to.

"Well, it felt like a person, but it didn't look like a person."

He nodded. That had been part of the way that Vader had been designed. "Alright. Go on."

"Well, I felt like I knew the person. His name was Vader. But I don't know anyone named Vader."

"Then what happened?" he asked, but by this point his tone had gone to the flat emotionless tone that had served him for so many years as a Sith Lord. He hadn't had any emotion in his voice because it was easier not to feel, and it was easy to slip back into the place in his mind where he didn't feel, he just dealt with whatever was happening.

"I heard a voice, but it wasn't my voice. I was talking though. I told him to get up and we left the room we were in."

"Back into the black-black hallway?" he asked, carefully choosing his words to make it sound like he was guessing.

"Yeah. We talked in the hallway as we walked down to another room."

"Then what?"

"Master Obi-Wan woke me up."

"Sounds pretty straightforward. What did you want to talk about?"

"Well, this person in the dream with me, Vader."

"What about him?"

"I felt like I know him, not just in the dream, but like I know him."

"Maybe he represents someone in your life?"

"I don't know. I remember feeling like I'd made him the way that he was." Anakin couldn't quite repress the shudder he felt at her words. "Are you ok, Daddy?"

"Fine, sweetheart. I just got a chill up my spine."

"That happens to me too sometimes. I don't know why."

"I don't know either."

"But so Vader talked about killing Master Obi-Wan."

"He did? And what did you say back to him?"

"I didn't say it. It was like someone else was in charge in my dream."

"That sometimes happens, but what was said?"

"Oh, I was talking in the dream like that would be good. Like Master Obi-Wan was bad."

"How does it make you feel, when you think about that?"

"I don't like that I dreamed that. It's kinda scary. Do you know who Vader is?"

"I've met Vader," he admitted to her.

"When?"

"A long time ago. He died when I was nine."

"He did?"

"He did."

"So why was he so sad?"

Anakin thought back to the memory that had served as the basis for the dream she was speaking of. He was quiet almost to the end of Jae's patience. "He had lost everyone who had ever meant anything to him. He'd lost his wife, his brother, and his daughter."

Jaedrea gasped. "That's terrible."

"Yes, it was," he said. He felt Padmé returning to their quarters. "Why don't you go over to Obi-Wan's and work on whatever homework your teachers gave you for today, Jae?"

He felt the injured feelings coming off of her in waves, but then she felt Padmé herself. "Ok. I'll go to Master Obi-Wan's," she said, and picked the datadiscs she'd scattered on the table when she'd sat down and left. She understood without asking that her mother wasn't someone she could go to about this.

"What was that about?" Padmé asked.

"She went back to school today," he said, turning back to his report.

"And?"

"She's going to Obi-Wan's to do her homework."

"And?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Humph."

"Don't do that."

"Do what?"

"Try to make me feel like I'm doing something wrong."

"What reason would you have for that?" she said, eyeing him critically.

"I'm trying to write this report," he said, not shifting under her scrutiny, but not meeting her eyes, either.

"That hasn't got anything to do with Jaedrea."

"I was trying to write this report when she came in here," he said, slightly defensively.

"And she wanted to talk to you about something that you don't want to talk to me about."

"I was under the impression that you didn't."

"What in the world would Jae want to talk about that I don't want to know about?"

He sighed, having been forced into a corner. "She's having dreams about Vader."

He watched Padmé's posture shift dramatically as she tensed from the name. "What kind of dreams?" she asked him, her voice carefully neutral.

"I'm not sure exactly. She's only had one. I hope it's not a trend, but we'll have to wait and see."

"Oh, Ani, do you think it's starting again?" he didn't need to ask what 'it' was. She was worried that Jae was starting down the path to the dark side again. She was at her most vulnerable right now.

"I don't know. I'm worried about it, but I can't do anything until I have more information. I don't know if I can do anything then."

She nodded and sat down beside him. "So what terribly important report have we been interrupting?"

"Oh, just a training report."

"Didn't you just do one of those?"

"Five months ago," he said, laughing. "You know I've got to do two of these a year."

"Mmmm. So you do. What are you going to do while you don't have Ash to take up all of your spare time?"

"I don't have spare time, Angel. There's always something that I've been putting off."

"Like what?" she asked.

He turned toward her, putting the datapad on the table, and tickled her sides. "Like this."

* * *

Jasmine was working on her Political Strategy homework in her bunk when her Master found her. "Hello, Master," she said warmly.

"What are you up to?"

"Homework. I think that I don't want to have anything to do with politics after this class."

"Is that so?"

"It's unnecessarily complicated."

"That's Dad's opinion of it, too."

"Really?"

"Yep."

"What about you?"

"I don't know. I think that if it's working, even if it is complicated, we don't need to go mucking about with it."

"But it's not working right now, is it?"

"No, and it hasn't for a long time. That's why Bail and Mom and Cedric and a whole bunch of people are trying to fix it."

"Master?"

"Yes?"

"What's happening to Jae scares me."

"It scares me, too, Jasmine. But we are going to fight with everything that we have as a family to keep her safe."

She nodded, accepting the truth of what he said. "When do we get to Bespin?"

"Late tomorrow sometime, I think."

"Ok. What are we planning to do when we get there?"

"Well, we'll have to see. I think it's going to be a very delicate situation when we get there, so we'll have to tread carefully."

"You mean you don't know if _she_ is going to be there, so you don't know if you'll have to deal with her, or if you can go in and destroy all the droids, and then wait for her to show up."

"I wouldn't put it quite that way," Luke said, "but that about sums it up."

"She will be there. I don't know if she'll be there when we get there, but we won't get off Bespin without confronting her."

"How do you know?"

"It's an important thing. I don't know _why_ it's important, just that it is."

"It's important that we confront her?"

"Yes. There is something that will happen, but I don't know what. It's important though. Big important."

"Like how big?"

"Like me being your Padawan big."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Ask Dad about the visions he's had about me and you since before I was born."

"Dad's had visions of us for that long?"

"He's not supposed to tell, I don't think, but sometimes they leak."

"How long have you known about this?"

"I don't know. It's just something that I've known."

"For how long?"

She shrugged. "It's worse since the three of you changed, but he's always leaked."

"So you've known about Dad having visions since you were little?"

"Yeah. I just figured everybody else caught glimpses of them, too. That's why I haven't said anything about it."

"Then after you became my Padawan, you started to realize just how special you are?"

"Well, different, at least."

"I see, so what is this vision he has of you?" he asked, with a smile.

She grinned back at him, and said, "I think he has lots of them. It's never the same when I catch the edges of it."

"But what is it?"

"Different stuff. Like, I don't know, a war, maybe. Fighting and stuff."

"Do you know when?"

She shrugged. "Sooner than we want. It's probably going to start in the next year or so."

"Why hasn't he said anything about them?"

"I don't know. Probably Master Yoda or somebody said that he shouldn't. They get kinda scary."

"And you haven't said anything?"

"I never say anything."

"Until you became my Padawan."

"Well, until that, yes."

"So tell me about these visions." He said, sitting on the edge of her bed, and she did.

* * *

Jaedrea had gone to Obi-Wan's as her father had asked her to, and she had worked on her homework. Obi-Wan had left her be until now. "Jaedrea?"

She looked up at him. "Yes, Master?"

He held her journal out to her. "Did you want your journal back?"

She touched the cover. It had been over a week since she'd written in it. "Yes. I'd like that."

"You must do your meditation. This can supplement it, but it will not replace it."

"Yes, Master."

"Is something bothering you, Padawan?"

She sighed. "I talked with Daddy about the dream I had last night."

"Well, what did he say?"

"Not a whole lot. I got the feeling that he knows a whole lot more about this Vader guy than he wanted to tell me."

"I'm sure," Obi-Wan said dryly.

"You know about him, too don't you?"

"Yes, I know as much as I will ever want to know about Vader. Unfortunately, I don't think I'm done learning about Vader."

"Because of my dreams?"

"No, not totally, though that's part of it."

"So why am I dreaming about someone who's dead?"

"Who told you that he's dead?"

"Daddy. He said that Vader died when he was nine."

Obi-Wan sighed. "Well, that is true enough, though he didn't really die, he did something more interesting."

"What?" she asked, her interest perking up.

"He joined the Force."

"So is he like a ghost or something?"

"No, but I don't think now is quite the time to be talking about what Vader actually is."

She sighed. "You don't trust me," she said flatly.

"It's not that, Jaedrea. You have demonstrated your ability to handle the information that we have given you about what's gone on. But explaining Vader to you would probably be enough to give you nightmares."

"Why?" she asked. "He doesn't seem bad in my dream. He feels sad, like he's unfixable-broken. Daddy said that he was so sad because he'd lost everyone he loved."

"Well, he did eventually get fixed."

"Really? Can you tell me about it?"

"No, little one. Not today," he said with a sigh.

"Why does Daddy not like talking about Vader?" she asked.

Obi-Wan thought about it for a while. "Vader was a Sith."

"A Sith?"

"Yes."

"So that's why he was talking about you like you were bad."

Obi-Wan nodded. "He and I didn't get along very well. I nearly killed him."

"Why didn't you?"

"Lots of reasons."

"Oh. Daddy doesn't quite seem right when he's talking about Vader."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I don't know. It's like he's not feeling anything. It seems familiar though. I don't know," she said, dismissing the thought since she couldn't decipher it.

"How much do you have left with your homework?" he asked, the abrupt change of subject meaning that the topic was closed, at least for today.

"Some math. I'm just about done."

"Dinner should be ready soon, and after that what did you want to do?"

"I don't know. I felt so out of place in my Forms class today. It's like my body knows better what to do than I do."

"You've actually done quite well in learning your Soresu. If you'd like, we can work on it together."

She smiled up at him. "That would be great, Master."


	28. Zeret

**AN:** **I'd like a little feedback on whether you like the (new) time/place dealies. I've actually been doing this for a while to keep myself sorted out, (I think I went and did it to Yoda's Shadow about a week after I finished it.) I don't know if you want something like that or not. Let me know. If the majority of responses are to keep them, I'll probably go add them into the previous chapters (though this might take me a while)**

** So, chapter. It's like forever long(20 pages) so I hope this makes up for my lackluster performance last week, and a couple of rather important things happen, as the tension rachets up while some of them are on their way to Bespin.**

Teresa:**Sith traces in objects? Hmm...Maybe. Cedric is definitely working to lay a foundation to rebuild the Galaxy. I don't know if this will make a difference on what's happening now, considering how slow governments are(The bigger, the slower, so um, yeah. Nothing gets done ever in the GS.)**

Honor Skywalker**:Thanks. I hope that what's happening with Jasmine continues to meet with your expectations, and welcome!**

rimera:**Thanks for the feedback. Hopefully I can keep things going better with the conversations. **

Baracade:**Welcome! Love your thoughts...we'll see where Sidious(if it really is Sidious) takes things.**

**Anywho, here's the chapter, Enjoy!!!**

* * *

Chapter 27

**Coruscant, Jedi Temple, Skywalker Central, 39:6:3, third hour**

Anakin felt it starting again: a dream, initially not something bad, but a memory of his time as Vader nonetheless. He felt the anger that he'd had at the situation, the rage at Obi-Wan for having kept something so vital from him. It was his memory of going to Coruscant and reporting the name of the pilot who'd shot down the first Death Star.

"This Skywalker. Do you think that he can be turned?" The Emperor asked him.

He considered, but only for a moment. "He will turn to the dark side or he will die."

"Very good, my friend," he said, but that could mean anything. He always said that. They walked from the throne room. He didn't want to continue down this memory, so he changed it. He took the Emperor's hand, and as the door opened, it opened not into another part of the Palace on Coruscant, where the memory had originally happened, but to the meadow at Varykino, a totally different memory, one where the triplets had just turned three. It had been the last time that he'd had a chance to get Padmé away from the Senate for long enough to relax. As he expected, the visage of Palpatine melted into Jaedrea's tiny form.

She giggled. "Daddy!" she cried as the old dream melted into non-existence.

"How's my Jae-girl?" he asked, swinging her up into the air and settling her on his hip.

"Love Daddy!" she said, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck. He buried his nose in her hair. She smelled so sweet, like the grasses that she'd been playing in. She giggled as it tickled, and wiggled like mad to get out of his grasp and run some more. He smiled, recalling how even then she was the first one out of the gate for anything.

He sat down, enjoying the memory-brought-to-life in his dream world. He felt a questioning probe from Obi-Wan. He sent back contentment. Obi-Wan left him alone after that. It was odd, but it had been some time since he'd actually realized he had been dreaming while he was dreaming, and being able to control things was empowering.

He watched Jaedrea go into the house with Padmé, and then he felt the dream shift around him. He looked around at where he was. _Mustafar,_ he spat out the name of the horrid place, settling down on the rocky ledge he was standing on. Jae was around somewhere, but he wasn't sure where. He hadn't been to this exact spot when he'd been here before, but it did afford a reasonably good view. "Hi," he heard Jae's voice call out to him from nearby.

"Hello," he answered her, but didn't look at her. Her being here brought out a good number of his internal conflicts.

"What do you see out there?"

"Not much, Jae-girl," he said, and he felt her come closer to him.

She touched the side of his face, and asked, "What's this?"

He reached up with his left hand, realizing as he touched the scar that his form had reverted to the way that he'd been the day he had gone to Mustafar. He frowned. He didn't like that she was seeing him like this, but he answered her question. "It's a lightsaber scar."

"But you don't have a scar there."

"Not anymore," he said wistfully, and then he was quiet, clasping his hands around his knees.

"Where did you get it?"

"In a battle with Asajj Ventress," he said, figuring that the truth was easiest.

"Who's that?"

"Someone you've never met. I don't know what's happened to her," _since I came back from the past._

Then she asked a question that he didn't expect. "Why are your arms backward?"

"What do you mean?" he asked her, just to make sure that he was answering the question that she was asking.

"When you're awake, your left arm is mechanical and your right arm is real. Here they're backward," she said. She realized that they were dreaming as well. It was a good start.

"Oh, that."

"Why?" she pestered him again.

"I lost this arm in a duel with a Sith when I was nineteen," he said, flexing the leather gauntlet out and stretching his fingers before clasping them into a fist.

"Darth Maul?" She guessed. She had no idea of the truth.

"No, Darth Tyranus," he answered, tucking his arm back around his legs.

"I haven't heard of him."

"No, and you won't. He's dead." _In both realities._

"Did you kill him?"

"Yes, I did, for doing this to me and other reasons. He didn't die a good death. I shouldn't have killed him."

"Why not?"

"I did it in a fit of anger. Never let your anger control your actions, Jaedrea."

"Have you killed lots of Sith, Daddy?"

He smiled, but it was feral, more akin to the expression that he would have had at that long ago time than anything Jaedrea would have been familiar with, had his lips had the occasion to curve upward that fateful day. "I've killed two Sith. One I had to kill twice."

"Why did you have to kill him twice?"

He smiled, genuinely this time and looked at her, "So that I could have you," he said softly, reverently, brushing the wisps of hair that had blown into her face away. "I wouldn't trade you for the whole universe."

She looked around; having accepted his answer, at least as far as it went. "So what is this place?"

"It is a planet called Mustafar."

"So why are we here?"

"Why, indeed. I don't think you want to know what happened on Mustafar," he said, shutting her out again.

"If you say so, Daddy," she said, but she remained unconvinced. "Can you change it again?" she asked curiously after a few moments' silence.

"I don't know; I can try."

"Do you know what's going on?"

"I have my suspicions."

"Like what?"

A silver ship streaked overhead. "We need to go now," he said, the calm of the previous conversation washed away by the need to get away from Mustafar before the ship carrying Padmé and Obi-Wan landed. He jumped up, grabbing her and holding her fiercely to him. He sought a memory of peace, quiet, something with her and no one else.

"Why did we run from that ship?" she asked as he released her. They were at Sola's house, and it was dawn. He was nearly always awake before dawn when they were on Naboo, and Jaedrea would occasionally come down early as well. All of his children, at one time or another did.

He sighed. "I didn't want to talk to the people on that ship with you here."

"So was it your memory that we were inside?"

"I think so," he agreed.

"So what do you think is going on?" she asked as he led her outside into Naboo's dewy dawn.

"I think that when you went to Ilum, you met a Force presence, the remains of a Sith named Darth Sidious. He's been trying his hardest to get his claws into you."

"Why? Why would he want me?"

"Because, I killed him; this would be revenge for him."

"Is he the one you killed twice, or was it Darth Tyranus?"

"Sidious," he answered.

"So how do you kill someone twice?"

"Oh, that's where my life gets complicated."

"Oh. I thought I was where your life got complicated," she said, sounding disappointed.

He laughed, _how many times have I told her that?_ "Well, that was before."

"Before what?"

"Before Sidious."

"But he's dead, right?"

"Yes. He's been dead for thirty-six years."

"Wow. That's like forever."

He smiled at her. "Thanks for the vote of confidence, Jae. I'm forty-five, so what am I, forever and nine?"

"No, Daddy," she said, and then considered what he said. "Does that mean that Vader and Sidious died about the same time?"

"Not about. Exactly."

"Oh. How did that happen?"

"Do you remember your lessons on the Massacre in the Senate?"

"Yeah, there was a Sith…Sidious?" she guessed as her mind moved faster than her mouth.

"That would be the one."

"But why didn't we learn more about it?"

"I didn't have anything to do with the curriculum about the Massacre in the Senate."

"You were my age when it happened, though, weren't you?"

"Something like that."

"And Master Obi-Wan was there."

"Yes, and your mother, and some other important people."

"Like who?"

He sighed. "The Princess of Alderaan."

"Who's that?"

"An important person."

"She's a princess, so she's important?"

"Well, that's not the only reason."

"You know, it would be easier on you if you just told me, instead of making me drag it out of you," she said, crossing her arms and huffing at him as he sat on the hillside above Aunt Sola's house.

"It would, would it?"

"Yes. I'm not going to leave you alone about this. I'm just as stubborn as you are."

He broke into a smile. "So you are. But sometimes it's in your best interest that we try to keep things from you."

"Why?"

"Because, it's hard on you to be learning about the Sith when you're so little. I know you don't think of yourself that way, but I still do. I remember what being nine felt like, and it's far from grown up."

"Is it half-way?"

"Maybe," he agreed, not that he believed it. "But if it's not necessary, I'd rather not give my nine-year-old daughter a dissertation on the Sith."

"But Daddy, how do I fight a Sith if I don't know anything about them?"

She let him pull her down onto his lap as he thought about her question. "You shouldn't be fighting the Sith."

"But what about this?" she asked, gesturing around. "This isn't normal."

"I know. But we'll get it figured out," he said, and then the dream dissolved into reality as he woke to the feelings of impassioned grief radiating from one of his other children.

* * *

**Coruscant, Jedi Temple, Skywalker Central, 39:6:3, third hour**

Cedric was dreaming of something totally different from his sister and father, though it was really no less disturbing.

_He walked through a field. It was green; that was about all the detail that the dream had spared for the place he was walking in. He didn't question how he had come to be in the place where he was; it was, and he was there, and that was enough. There was no perception of distance or elevation. Everything was flat, and while some things felt farther away than others, it wasn't very far. He came to a place where there was a small child, newborn in fact. He knelt down in front of the child, who was well detailed, a sharp contrast to their surroundings. The boy, for the child was naked, looked familiar, but he couldn't quite see how it was that he did. He picked the child up and placed him on his lap to get a better look at the boy._

_Blue eyes stared back at him, and a dark thatch of hair topped the child's head. Then he realized that the child's features were very close to those of his father's. _Is this my brother?_ he wondered, but as he examined the child's Force signature, it was all wrong. There was a certain flavor that all of his siblings had in common, that was missing from this child. He looked the child over again, and realized that the child had several scars across his chest and abdomen, and one across his face. He gently turned the boy over, noting that the pattern continued across his back._

_Then there was a moment of understanding as to what the scars were. They were all that remained of a dark energy that had tried to rip the child apart. _Who could have done such a thing to a child so young?_ he wondered. The scars, if he traced them, actually formed a single line that wrapped around him several times. The scars didn't seem to impede the child's movement, whatever had been done to keep the boy from dying had been sufficient to see to that._

_Then he understood why he was seeing this child. This was HIS child, a child that he would have in the future, with Sev'rance Tann. It was her dark energy that had nearly killed him. The mechanism of his salvation wasn't clear, but it was something that he would live through. He ran a finger lightly over the scar on the boy's face. Just above his left eyebrow, across the bridge of his nose, under his right eye, and across his cheek. It wrapped around the back of his neck, and re-emerged just under his left arm, having run across his shoulder. _

_The boy was ripped from him then, and he ran into a wall trying to get to his son. It wasn't a visible wall, but he could feel it just as surely. The boy was just beyond it, out of reach. He cried, wanting to reach Cedric, but not having the ability to move, he was only able to voice his frustration in one way, and it wrenched at Cedric's heart that he couldn't get to the child._

_He tried to see if he could get beyond the wall, but found that he was enclosed in a box, and the child was outside of it. He watched as the boy started to grow older. He started crawling, then walking in the span of about a minute. "Zeret!" he heard Sev'rance's voice, and the child ran to her, but soon he grew tired of her presence, and started to walk over to where Cedric was enclosed. He watched as the scene shifted in front of him to resemble the balcony of his parent's home. He watched an older version of himself, nearly in tears, saying goodbye to the now four-year-old child, who was nearly being dragged away by his mother. "I want to stay with Daddy!" he screamed, as she hoisted him over her shoulder so that she could get him into the skycar. _

"_You can't stay," he heard his older self say, though he could feel how torn he was inside to say that. She'd put the condition on him that if he wanted to see his son, that he would do nothing to try to stop her when she was ready to leave, or she would never bring Zeret back to see him again. "Be good." His older self said, brushing the child's forehead, and kissing it. There was a slight use of the Force with that as well, and the child calmed down. _Know that I love you. It is not by my choice that you cannot stay, _he heard himself say to the boy. Such a slight thing that none but a Skywalker would have sensed it, and he was sure that Tann wouldn't have noticed. _

_The scene shifted again, this time the child was there with him alone. Tann was gone, and lightsabers were drawn. Zeret's was blue; his was green. He watched the battle with growing horror. His older self tried not to hurt the boy, and he was being very careful; he was under attack, and he needed to neutralize Zeret without hurting him. Zeret struck a couple of blows that landed—barely—that he wouldn't have allowed a true opponent; it was all he could do to keep both of them relatively uninjured, and he wasn't quite sure why he still wanted to do that. He watched as he used the Force at an opportune moment to pull the boy's lightsaber from his grasp, and with Zeret already on the ground, he placed the blade of his lightsaber dangerously close to his own child's neck. _Cedric woke in a cold sweat.

He felt as though his world was crashing in on him, and that nothing would be the same again. Greif for the pain that the child he would have faced, for he had no doubt that the dream he'd just had was a portent of the future, welled up from inside him, crashing over him in waves. He felt hot tears falling from his eyes, and he welcomed them, embraced them, and he cried. Then he felt someone moving in his room. He'd missed the opening and closing of the door somehow, and he felt out, finding his father.

"What's wrong, Cedric?" his father asked, and he threw his arms around his father, holding on for dear life. He calmed a little and the story poured out of him in a jumbled ragged mess. But his father understood.

"I've had dreams of the future since I was little. I'm sorry that this is something that I've passed on to you, Cedric."

"I've never had a dream like this before," he protested, but only half-heartedly. He knew in his heart that his father was right.

"You haven't had reason to. Apparently now you do."

"But why now?"

"I don't know. I never knew until much later what triggered any of my visions, if I ever figured it out."

* * *

**_Millennium Falcon_, En route to Bespin, 39:6:3, third hour**

Jasmine woke to jumbles of emotions radiating out to her from Coruscant. She sorted through them. _Jaedrea,_ she thought, finding frustration mixed with fear. Fear, not the dangerous kind, more akin to sympathy, sorrow and deep threads of emotional pain, she identified as her father. Greif, sorrow and confusion, strong and profound, surprised her a little. _Cedric,_ she determined finally. _She_ had done that to him. She couldn't feel exactly what was going on, and it hit home that they were very, very far away. She didn't like being this far away from them. The dark that threatened to engulf Jaedrea wasn't far enough away from her sister to make her feel comfortable. It wouldn't be far enough away if it were half-way across the galaxy. It wasn't going to be easy to save Jaedrea, mostly because Jaedrea would fight her on it without even realizing that she was doing it. She sighed, because she didn't know what else to do. The Force whispered so many things to her, but she still had to figure out how to do what she needed, wanted to do.

The door slid open, revealing her Master's familiar form. "You ok, Little Bit?"

"I don't like being so far from home."

"Why's that?" he asked, entering and sitting on her bed beside her.

"I can't fix Jaedrea if I'm here," she said as she snuggled up beside him, under his arm.

"Anything else?" he asked perceptively.

"Something's wrong with Cedric."

"What's that?"

"I don't know, but it's got to do with _her._"

"Oh. Can you tell me about it?"

"He's all sad and mixed up inside. He wasn't like that before she got a hold of him. I think he had a really bad nightmare, and it's her fault."

"I doubt it's really her fault that he had a nightmare."

"But it is. Some action of hers is directly responsible for this nightmare."

"You're working out the puzzle pieces in your head, aren't you?"

"I'm trying. I don't know enough about what's going on to see what some of the pieces are. It's like I can only see the shapes of half the pieces, but I know a little more about what's going on with some of the others. Nothing about this is really clear yet."

"So what do you want to do about it?"

"It's not like life or death right now. But I'd still rather be home."

"So we don't need to turn around and take you back?" he asked with a bit of laughter in his voice.

"No, Master. I have to go to Bespin. I just don't have to like it."

"What's so important about you being along on this mission?"

"I don't know. It's a piece in this puzzle with Cedric, though. But it's other things too, I don't know…"

"It's a big deal, then?"

"Very big."

"But you don't know what it is?"

"I don't know. The Force never tells me enough about what's going on," she complained.

"But if it told you more, would you do less?"

She considered what he said. "You're right, Master. I need to work things out for myself, that's why I don't get as much information from the Force as I'd like."

"So, see there are reasons for what happens."

"But what reason could there be for the pain Cedric's going through?"

"Well, maybe he has a special destiny."

"What kind of special destiny?"

"Maybe he will be able to reach inside Darth Immolious and find the good person that she is supposed to be."

"Like you did for Daddy?"

"Yes, like I did for Daddy."

"That sounds like something Cedric would do."

"Yes, it does, doesn't it?"

"It's just hard to know that he's hurting on the inside and it's leaking all over onto everybody, and there's nothing I can do about it because I'm here."

"Leaking all over everybody?"

"I think he woke Daddy up, and Celia, too."

"So he's not going through it alone, and a burden shared is halved."

"But he's usually not that bad."

"Usually, but you've gotten me up to try to fix him before."

"But he's supposed to be better now."

"Why?"

"He feels better on the inside."

"Define better."

"He feels more like he used to, more peaceful, and less mixed up. I thought he was going to finally be getting back to normal."

"Well, there's part of your problem."

"What?"

"I think you drew your conclusion on incomplete information."

"Oh. Like this thing that's going to happen on Bespin?"

"What thing?"

"I don't know. The thing I have to be there for. I'll know when it happens."

"How will you know?"

"I just will," she said, slightly exasperated with the question. She knew that he was trying to understand where she thought she was coming from, but it didn't help when he asked silly questions. "Sometimes you want me to explain things that just ARE, Master. I can't do that. It's like trying to explain the Force."

"The Force just is?"

"Yes. I wouldn't even begin to be able to explain the Force."

"So you'll just know?"

"I'll just know."

"And why does the Force tell you that you have to be on Bespin in the first place?"

"Because something very, very bad will happen if I don't go."

"Like what?"

"I don't know. I think someone would have died, but it's kinda hard to tell."

"Why is it hard to tell?"

"Because it's all dark and icky down in that direction. It's not going to happen now anyway, so it's not really important."

"After we finish the mission on Bespin, will you know what would have happened?"

"I don't know. Sometimes I learn the outcome of a situation if I hadn't acted the way I did. Sometime's it's clear anyway."

"So sometimes it's obvious what would have happened and sometimes the Force tells you?"

"Yeah. I don't know if it will be that way with this."

"What about Jaedrea?"

"She's not falling to the dark side if I have to drag her butt kicking and screaming away from it. I can do it, too," she said authoritatively.

"Is that so?" he asked, sounding like he was about to start laughing.

"It is. I don't think she's going to be particularly appreciative of it, but she isn't going to fall to the dark side and that's final."

"So are you going to spend the rest of your life making sure of that?"

"If I have to. I don't think it will be _that_ bad."

"Still trying to keep your sister out of trouble, are you?"

She sighed. "I'll leave her alone about most stuff. She can screw up as much as she needs to in order to learn how not to on her own. But some stuff—she's blind to a lot of what's going on."

"Do you think that way about a lot of people?"

"No."

"Do you think that way about anyone else?"

"Not really. I think with Jae it's more that she's willfully blind about the consequences of her own actions."

"What about seeing the future the way you do?"

"Master Yoda saw the future through the Force."

"Yes. And he used to tell me, 'Always in motion is the future.'"

"Well, that's true enough. But some things are reasonably set."

"Are you disagreeing with Master Yoda?"

"No, but the future isn't some weird unknown place where everything is so mixed up that you can't tell what's going to happen. I don't think Master Yoda saw it that way, either. I think he was just being contrary."

Luke laughed softly at her assessment. "What is it like then?"

"Most decisions don't make an impact on the future. Like which set of robes that you choose to wear in the morning or what you eat for breakfast. There are thousands of decisions that we make every day, but only a couple of them have lasting impacts on the future, and usually it's just the immediate future, not anything more than a week or so away."

"So what kinds of decisions make bigger impacts?"

"I don't know that there's much. Births and deaths make big impacts. I guess for not-Jedi people, places they live can make a big impact, even Jedi I guess; since Fel-Gin moved to Dantooine, it's been different. Who you love," she trailed off into silence as she couldn't think of anything else to add to her list.

"Love is a choice?"

"Sometimes. Like Julia could choose not to love Jae anymore, and it would be her choice."

"What do you think about that?"

"It would be really bad for Jae if she did that," Jasmine said quietly.

"Like how bad?"

"I'm not sure what would happen. There are too many other decisions that would have to be made beyond that for me to know for sure, but I think we would lose her before she got Knighted," she said, tears coming unbidden from thinking about a path she hoped she would never have to walk.

"Lose her how?"

"I don't know. There are really only two ways, and either is as likely as the other," she told him, her own fear that this would cause an irreparable rift in their family finally getting the best of her; she buried her head into his chest and cried.

* * *

**_Vengeance Reborn_, En route to Bespin, 39:6:3, third hour**

Sev'rance Tann had worked through some of her frustrations by tracking and killing the pirate scum that had dared to try to divert her shipments, steal her necessary materials and make a profit off of her. She had gotten angry, but she'd remembered what had happened the last time she'd let dark emotions into the equation. The baby would not likely have such luck the second time around. She had released all of the darker emotions that she had coursing through her. They were anathema to the life growing inside her, and she didn't want to risk the fragile infant again. It was getting to the point that she got nauseous from being angry for most any length of time. Fear was easier to deal with, and she really didn't have anyone or anything that she hated enough to bring the emotion out to the forefront. It was an affront to her Sithly sensibilities that she was afraid that she wouldn't be able to carry this baby to term. She wouldn't get another chance, or at least she was afraid that she wouldn't get another chance. It was unlikely that the circumstances would present themselves again so that she could speak with him as early in the sleep cycle as she had that night. He was unlikely to be as tempted by her, because though she had adjusted the memory that he'd had that night to make him believe that it was only a dream, he would likely still remember what they had done. Realistically, this was the only chance that she had at having his child. _Unless you do as he's been asking you. You could give up the way of the Sith, and become his wife in truth when he is old enough, _the part of her that belonged to Cedric informed her. _He doesn't care about power, lust, or anything that you could offer him to lure him away from his life as a Jedi. He cares for you, and he would care for the baby. He wants you to be happy,_ the unbidden thoughts came.

_But what is happy?_ She asked that part of herself.

_Being with Cedric. Seeing our child grow, and knowing that we are a family. Giving up the darkness so that we can be together._

_I'm afraid._

_Cedric would be there through it with you._

_They wouldn't let him._

_You don't know that they wouldn't._

_You don't know that they would._

_Cedric would want to be with you,_ the small part of her that belonged to Cedric said. _He would fight to be with you._ The last statement hit a little too close to home, and she shoved that part of herself back into its hole deep inside her, and slammed the door shut. The part of her that belonged to Cedric smiled. The part that was Sith had forgotten to lock the chains.

* * *

**Coruscant, Jedi Temple, Kenobi Quarters, 39:6:3, third hour**

Jaedrea felt the strange dream start again. It was different, though, she was in some other room in the black-black place. Vader was there again. He was sad this time, but determined, no longer the broken man he'd been twenty years before. She didn't know how she knew that the two scenes had spanned that distance, but they did. _Skywalker, he must be talking about Daddy, _she thought as she listened to the conversation. Then they left, but instead of going into another part of the black-black place, they went instead to Varykino. She loved Varykino and Naboo in general. She had been very little the last time that she'd been to Varykino, but she still remembered it vividly. Her parents had been so happy here. It was about the last time that she'd seen her mother really, really happy. She played with her father for a while, then her mother came out to call them in to lunch, and as she entered the house, she felt the dream shift again. She looked down, wondering who she would be this time, but found that she was her nine-year-old self. She looked around, and up a rocky ledge, rough but climbable, there was someone sitting. _Maybe I will find out what is going on if I talk to him, _she reasoned.

She climbed the hill, which wasn't more than a hundred meters tall, but it was at least twice the height to get to the top, with switchback trails and meandering around the hill's rocky slopes. She got there, and there was the person. She realized that he looked something like a cross between her father and Cedric. She talked with him, and figured out that he was in some way a depiction of her father. He was sad in that place. He told her it was called Mustafar. Someone came, and he made Mustafar and the strange changes that made him different there go away. They went back to Naboo again before she woke up.

When she did wake, she found Obi-Wan sitting on the side of her bed. "You were dreaming?"

She nodded as she sat up. "It was different this time. We were in the black place again, but we weren't talking about you, I think we were talking about Daddy, because he said Skywalker."

"He who?"

"He the person I am in the dream."

"Hmmm." Obi-Wan said, then asked. "What else?"

"Then we walked through a door, but Daddy made it different."

"How?"

Jae shrugged. "I just know that Daddy did. We went to the meadow at Varykino."

"That was always one of your father's favorite places."

"Then I went in the house, and it changed again, but I don't think Daddy did it. He sure didn't do it on purpose if he did."

"Where did you go then?"

"An awful place, it was all stinky and hot. I saw Daddy there, but he wasn't Daddy. He told me the place was called Mustafar."

She felt Obi-Wan react to the name. Obi-Wan didn't seem to like Mustafar any more than Daddy had. "What do you mean that he wasn't himself?"

"He was all backwards."

"What do you mean?"

"He was backwards. His right arm was mechanical and his left arm was flesh."

"Oh. Is there anything else that was different?"

"He wasn't old yet. And he had a scar on his face."

"Did you meet anyone else while you were there?"

"No, he just sat on top of a hill. I climbed up to him, and we talked. Then this ship came, a silver one, and we left because Daddy didn't want to talk to anyone from Mustafar."

"So you left Mustafar?"

"Yeah, then we went back to Naboo, to Aunt Sola's house. I asked Daddy why he didn't want to tell me what I need to know to fight the Sith, and he said that he wanted to protect me."

"I can't really blame him there."

"But Master, how do I fight the Sith if I don't know anything about them?"

"We will work on that, Jaedrea. I don't want to scare you, but at the same time I do want to ensure that you have the knowledge that you need."

"I don't think it will matter much if you don't tell me everything."

"I think we can teach you to fight the Sith without telling you absolutely everything."

"You're as bad as Daddy."

"Where do you think he learned it?"

"From you."

"And where do you thing I learned it?"

She laughed. "From Master Qui-Gon."

"So what does that tell you?"

"That you're as bad as Daddy. But don't you think he would agree with me that I should learn more about the Sith?"

"I'll ask him in the morning, but I doubt it."

* * *

**_Millennium Falcon_, En route to Bespin, 39:6:3, ninth hour **

Leia felt almost normal. She was sitting in the _Falcon_'s lounge with Luke and Han. It was nice, and there were almost points in time when Leia forgot that she was not only a Senior Jedi Padawan, but also a Rebel Princess. The Rebellion was so far removed from their current life that it sometimes almost felt like a dream.

"I don't want to sound dumb, but did you two have ANY fun in this other universe?" Han asked.

Luke laughed and replied, "Of course we did. The Rogues always kept things interesting."

"That is the understatement of the century," Leia said dryly.

"Hey, it wasn't us that soaked your clothes on Hoth," Luke said defensively.

"Prove it, flyboy, prove it," Leia responded with mock severity.

"Your clothes got soaked?" Han asked.

"Yes, someone turned up the heat in my room."

"How would that get them wet?" Han asked looking puzzled.

"You've never been to Hoth in this reality?" Luke asked.

"Nope."

"Hoth is the coldest habitable world in the galaxy, and I use the phrase 'habitable' very loosely."

"So?"

"So, my dear sweet scruffy husband, my room had walls made of ice."

Comprehension spread over Han's face, then he made the worst mistake of his life, he started laughing.

"It's not funny! I could've caught my death!" Leia said with false indignation.

At that moment Ash chose to appear.

"Hey, guys, what's so funny?" he asked.

"Turned…up… the… heat…in…a…room…made…of…ice!" Han said as he was laughing, a wheezing sound happening at the very end.

"That would sound tragic," Ash said.

"No,…no…it's…hilarious! Clothes, bed all wet! Seriously, who did it, Hobbie? Janson? Wedge?" Han asked after assume some semblance of control over his laughter.

"No one claimed it, and I sure didn't do it," Luke said.

"I bet it was Wedge, it's always the quiet ones!" Han said.

"It's a theory, but unprovable."

"Yeah, we can't ask him."

"Why not?" Ash asked.

"Cause he can't tell us if he did it or not."

"I was unaware that Colonel Antilles had a deficient memory." Ash said, sending Han into further spasms of laughter.

"Don't worry about it Ash, it's a long story," Leia said, patting her husband's knee, tolerating his enjoyment of a tale told at her expense.

"No, I think something unusual is going on. Master Skywalker is acting very different lately, you two sound completely different and Luke is at a power level that I've never seen, even in your father."

Leia looked at her twin who simply shrugged and said, "It's not a secret, Leia."

"Than why do we act like it is?" she asked.

"Simple, it takes a while to explain and once we're done its even odds if the person we are explaining it too will think we are insane."

"You are such a help," Leia said sarcastically then with Luke's help launched into the whole story.

* * *

**_Bright Hope Ranger_, Ilum, 39:6:3, ninth hour **

Julia found herself alone inside the cave. Master Tiin had said he would go with her, but she had lost him somehow. He had said that it might happen, but not to get scared if it did. _"Young Skywalker, an honor it is to see you in this place,"_ she heard, and it sounded like it was in her head and her ears at the same time. It was almost disconcerting.

"Master?" she asked, turning to the direction that she thought she was hearing it from, and indeed, a nearly transparent glowing figure that very much resembled the former Grand Master of the Jedi Order.

"_A crossroads you will face."_

She knelt before him, a sign of the great amount of respect that she held for him. He'd taught her father many things and some of her siblings as well. She had been saddened by his death, as much as any Jedi who'd known him personally. "Yes, Master."

"_The decision that you make will not only affect you, but through the whole of the Force will that decision reverberate."_

"I don't understand, Master."

"_A heavy burden this is for one so young as you. Even upon the shoulders of your father was not so heavy a burden placed."_

She waited in silence for him to continue.

"_Asked much of you in your short life, I have not. But ask this of you now, I must. Find room in your heart for your sister once again."_

It was something that she hadn't expected. "Why, Master?" she asked, a jumble of emotions welling up inside her. The wounds of Jaedrea's betrayal of her family were still fresh on her heart.

"_For yourself, do this. Hatred does not do a Jedi good, and harm it will do to you if you let it fester. For Jaedrea, do this. She loves you and she would not understand why you cannot face her. For Jasmine, do this. She sees more than any child her age has any right to, and it hurts her to see the consequences of this action._

"_Do this, because it is part of the battle between the Jedi and the Sith. There is evil that has set its sights on Jaedrea, and in not healing the wounds that were created, an opening you will leave for the evil to enter her heart."_

"I don't know how, Master."

"_Help you with that, your family can. Remember this, you will not. Ready for this conversation you are not. Wait it must, but remember you will, when the time to decide is upon you."_

"Yes, Master," she said. She blinked, not remembering how she'd gotten where she was, but there was a crystal just arm's length from her that was perfect for what she had in mind.

"Did you find what you were looking for Julia?" Master Tiin asked from behind her.

"Yes, Master," she said as she picked the crystal up, and showed it to him.

He smiled, "Well, it doesn't appear that anything bad has happened to you in your quest. Shall we head for home?"

"I want to fly!" she said, heading in the direction of the ship.

"I think that would be acceptable," he told her as she passed by the glowing form of Yoda without even seeing him.

* * *

**Coruscant, Jedi Temple, Skywalker Central, 39:6:3, tenth hour **

Obi-Wan walked into his oldest apprentice's quarters. He wondered briefly if destiny would see fit to give him another Skywalker when he was finished with Jaedrea's training, or if he would be finished entirely with training Padawans. A small sadness came from his heart at that thought. Having younglings around made him feel younger than his sixty-one years.

"Well, Anakin, what have you to say for yourself?" he asked, settling down in the only clear seat in the entire living room. That it happened to be the one he preferred did not escape his notice.

Anakin looked up from the droid parts he'd scattered around his entire living area. "Cedric is cursed."

"And that is supposed to mean what?"

"Those horrible nightmares I used to get as a kid?"

"I remember."

"He had one of those last night."

"I'm sorry, Anakin. I know how hard it was to watch you go through those. It must be twice as bad, knowing what they are like personally and watching him go through them."

"We talked for about an hour about his dream, and some of the ones I've had. Celia came in to talk as well. She's been trying to hold up without cracking through all of this with Cedric, and he's been pushing her away just as hard as he's been pushing everyone else away, but I got the feeling last night that their relationship was on the mend."

"That is good news. Now, I'm sure that you know I didn't come over to talk about Cedric."

He sighed. "I know. That's why I started taking this droid apart this morning."

"What do you mean?"

"Padmé decided that she needed to go shopping, and she took Liz with her."

"Because you have taken over the living room." Obi-Wan deciphered. "You know that's not healthy for your relationship."

"What's not healthy for our relationship is that Padmé doesn't really want to acknowledge the whole Vader thing, and it's not really a conscious decision on her part, so it's rather a shock to her anytime it gets shoved in her face, which is more and more often now. I haven't tried to force the issue; I want her to come to terms with it in her own way, when she's ready. So I try to gently persuade her that she doesn't need to be home when I think the issue is going to come up."

"So what else have you done?"

"I've talked her into going by the Senate for something or another that she's already worried about; I've gone over to your place instead of having you come here. Whatever is convenient for the particular situation."

"You didn't used to be like this."

"I know. But I'm trying to balance her internal denial with the needs of the situation. I don't like hurting her, and talking about Vader does."

"And hiding from her doesn't?"

"She drags out of me what was discussed anyway. I think it's easier for her to deal with that way."

Obi-Wan nodded, and waited for him to continue.

"With the pregnancy and all the other changes that have come recently that have absolutely nothing to do with Vader I don't think she's really prepared to admit that her husband, who has stood at her side for twenty-six years, has drastically and profoundly changed. She can deny it to herself because there are no outward physical symptoms of it."

"I notice it more with the twins, as well. Leia's accent changed. Luke's did a bit as well; not as pronounced, but neither of them speaks with the pronounced Coruscanti accents that most Jedi do, and they used to, anymore."

Anakin acknowledged the truth of the statement, bringing a piece of the droid he was working on toward him with the Force.

"So what kind of droid is this?"

"A protocol droid. CR-378, I think. He was so much scrap when I found him a few months ago, and now I'm ready to put him back together."

"So what happened last night?"

"I assume you mean the dream that I was having before Cedric's woke me up."

"Yes."

"It started in the Palace."

"You know Jaedrea refers to that as 'the black place.'"

"Does she? It's an accurate enough description. I don't know what it was built of, but it was the most awful matte black stuff, or so I've been told."

"The whole place?"

"Every wall, door, everything, was made out of that stuff on the interior, with something more grandiose on the exterior. I never bothered to find out too much more about it," he said. "You might ask Leia; she's been there."

"I might," Obi-Wan said noncommittally. "So it started in the Palace?"

Anakin nodded, not bothering to look up from the droid. "The Imperial Palace. I went there to tell the Emperor that I had found the name of the pilot who'd destroyed the first Death Star. I suspect that he already knew, and I didn't even have a first name at that point, though I wouldn't be surprised if he did."

"Who was it?"

"Luke."

"Ah, that would explain the talking about Skywalker that Jaedrea assumed was talk of you."

"Did she? At least she hasn't figured the Vader thing out. I don't know how much longer that particular item will still be hidden from her."

"Well, if these dreams continue, I believe it will be necessary to inform her of most everything, at least in a basic sense."

"A rough outline?"

"Yes, I think that will be necessary soon."

"I didn't want to be in that blasted suit any longer, even if it was a dream, so I tried to change it. I figured walking through a door was significant enough that I could enact a change."

"And it worked?"

"Yes. The last time we went up to Varykino."

"Jaedrea remembered that. I'm a little surprised; she's usually not that good with place names or names in general."

"She's getting better, I think, Obi-Wan."

"Probably. And after that?" he prompted.

"Mustafar, though not the way that it happened. It must have been only a little after I landed, because it took a while for Padmé's ship to arrive."

"So tell me about Mustafar."

"You mean what really happened?" Anakin asked, sitting back from his work.

"Yes. I think it's time to talk about it."

"I went there on Palpatine's orders. The Separatist Council had gone there to hide, again on Palpatine's orders. He orchestrated the Clone Wars. He was evil beyond measure. And I trusted him."

"You had no reason not to, Anakin."

"Yes, I did. I had you telling me that politicians weren't to be trusted, and I should have never trusted Palpatine over you in the first place. Though I think now that you were trying to keep me from falling in love with Padmé, but by the time you were telling me those things, you were ten years too late."

"I could see that happening, had the rules concerning marriage not changed," Obi-Wan said thoughtfully. "You are still going with the argument that the two of you fell in love the moment that you met?"

"Yes," Anakin said simply, a smile creeping its way onto his face.

"So you went to Mustafar to what? Kill the Separatist Council?" Obi-Wan asked and Anakin's smile disappeared.

"Yes. By that time, General Grievous was dead at your hand, and Dooku at mine, and that was all that stood between us and peace in the Galaxy, at least in my mind."

"Dooku?"

"Oh," Anakin sighed. "After Master Qui-Gon died, Dooku left the Jedi Order. Everyone thought it was grief that drove him to it, and I think that it was at least part of the answer. But he also became the Apprentice of Sidious, since Maul was dead."

"Why did he take one so old?"

"Though I'm sure he assured Dooku otherwise, and it was Count Dooku at that point, as he took up his family title as Count of Serrano, Dooku was only a place holder, someone to fill the position while Palpatine groomed me, and I grew up."

"So, you killed him."

"Yes, and not in a nice way. He was in on the plot to kidnap Palpatine and hold him prisoner until the Republic conceded to their demands."

Obi-Wan rubbed his forehead. "Wait—he kidnapped Palpatine?"

"Well, sort of. I think Grievous actually did the dirty work. But they were both on board the _Invisible Hand_."

"So Palpatine arranged to have himself kidnapped?"

Anakin blinked at him. "Who would suspect a kidnapping victim, especially when one was kidnapped by the likes of General Grievous, who had a very vicious reputation?"

"The sick brilliance of that astounds me."

"It gets better," Anakin informed him sarcastically.

"Continue," Obi-Wan said, waving his arm wide and settling back into the sofa again.

"So Grievous spearheaded this operation to kidnap Palpatine, and later historians called it the Second Battle of Coruscant. From what I understand the Separatists just marched into his office in the Senate building and took him. We were out on the Outer Rim, but got called home for that. It had been seven months since we'd been on Coruscant. So we came, and the first thing we did was get involved in this battle. We boarded the _Invisible Hand,_ the flagship of that fleet. We fought our way to where Dooku was holding Palpatine. Dooku, probably under orders from Palpatine, Force-pushed you into something or another hard enough to knock you out of the fight, and knocked you unconscious. That made me angry, which made me more powerful, in raw terms. At that point in my life I saw no point in refining my Force techniques to utilize less energy, because I had access to huge amounts of Force energy, much more than even I could use.

"Dooku didn't have the strength to hold up to me, and I was using Ataru, which was the form I preferred once I learned it. And you know Dooku; he was as much a master of Makashi as you are of the Soresu, and going to the dark side didn't change that in him."

"So what happened? I assume I was unconscious through all of this."

"Yes, and later on. I battled against Dooku and won. I cut both his hands off, in retaliation for him taking my arm. Palpatine encouraged me to kill him, and so, after a moment of indecision with his and my lightsabers crossed at his throat, I killed him."

"Then what?" Obi-Wan asked impassively after Anakin was silent for a time.

"Palpatine encouraged me to leave your unconscious body there, but I wouldn't. I carried you and the three of us made our way to the bridge, where General Grievous awaited us. We fought him, but he escaped. By that time you were conscious again. In the battle, some damage was done to the ship and we were forced to crash-land the thing on the surface."

"I assume by 'we' you mean you."

"Well, for the most part. You did help."

"So we all survived that incident, and then what?"

"I played poster boy; I always played poster boy. You went back to the Temple to give your report. I talked with Palpatine and then Bail Organa, with whom I was rather good friends at that time. I felt Padmé's presence, and so I excused myself, and found her. She was so happy to see me, and it had been so long since we'd seen each other. I could sense that she was frightened out of all reason, and I made her tell me what was wrong."

"What was wrong?" Obi-Wan asked as the silence drew on for longer than it normally did.

"She was pregnant with the twins. It was the happiest moment of my existence up to that point, and I told her so. Of course, she had been hiding it, and no one knew. She didn't even know it was twins at that point."

"And you said we'd been gone for seven months?"

"Yes. It was, oh, a week, maybe six or seven days later that they were born, Mustafar, everything."

"So you were happy, and what happened?"

"I went to sleep that night, and I had one of those nightmares."

"Death, mayhem?"

"Just death. Padmé's. That was the proverbial straw that broke the eopie's back."

"You couldn't handle it?"

"No. I think Palpatine knew that I could be manipulated through my dreams. I don't know for sure, but I think that it's possible that he planted either that fear in my mind or the dream itself."

"Why do you think that?"

"It took me fourteen years to get to the point where I went from a sweet innocent little boy that came to Coruscant to the freshly minted Sith Apprentice that arrived on Mustafar. I have no doubt that every encounter that I had with Palpatine, no matter how innocuous it seemed, put another chink in my armor, another crack in my mental shields, or drove another wedge between the two of us."

"So what did happen on Mustafar?" Obi-Wan asked, deciding that he'd had enough background.

"I killed the Separatist Council. It took all of about ten seconds. I scoured the databases that they left, to see what I could find. Anything I felt was interesting, I took with me. You were ordered to come find me and try to stop me. Yoda went to try to do the same with Palpatine."

"So?"

"Well, best that I can figure, being that I didn't have anyone to ask afterward, this is what happened. You went to Padmé to see if she knew anything. She probably, nicely, told you to go to one of the Nine Corellian Hells. I have to take the things she said to me at face value, because I was being incredibly stupid at that point. Then she decided, as you suspected that she would, to foolishly come after me. You stowed away aboard the ship she traveled on. You were good enough to keep her from realizing that you were there until she had already landed and had gotten out of the ship to talk to me.

"I saw you there, and I assumed the worst—that you had convinced her to betray me. I saw the Jedi as betrayers of the Republic. I did something unspeakable to Padmé, which knocked her unconscious."

"What did you do?"

"I Force-choked her," Anakin said with a sigh. "Then after that I was angry enough to draw my lightsaber, and you were there to stop me by any means necessary, so we fought. We fought for what felt like forever. Someone's lightsaber hit some of the controls that kept the building we were in stable. It collapsed, but it didn't matter. We fought across the girding that once held the building upright, and was spanning the lava river. We jumped from there onto collection droids that floated above the river as the structure collapsed, still fighting. Finally we got close to the edge, and you jumped away from me," he said, turning his head away from his friend.

"What then?" Obi-Wan prompted finally after it became apparent that Anakin wouldn't continue without him saying something.

He continued to look out onto the Coruscanti traffic. "I should have listened to you. You told me it was over, and I was an arrogant ass, and tried to Force-jump over your head."

"So is that how it happened?"

"What?" Anakin asked softly.

"How you ended up catching on fire."

"Pretty much. You cut through my three remaining natural limbs as I tried to one-up you, and I fell there, unable to do anything more than scream in agony. You know that, though."

"Yes, I know more than I care to about that."

"You took my lightsaber, gave it to Luke when you took him with you to go to Alderaan, but that was later." Anakin said, wistfully.

"So then what happened then?"

"Well, I hadn't killed Padmé, despite what Palpatine told me. You took her with you, went somewhere. Polis Massa? I think that's where I tracked you down to. I had no idea why you were there, of course, and by the time I'd tracked you there, it was a couple of years later. I assume that Bail Organa and Master Yoda met you there. The decision was made to split the twins up for their own safety. Yoda went into exile on Dagobah. Bail took Leia and adopted her; you took Luke to my step-brother. Neither was informed of the other's existence, but they found each other anyway."

"What about you?"

"Palpatine came and collected me. Put me in that blasted suit, told me there was nothing more that could have been done for me, I was so badly damaged. Told me I killed Padmé, and that took the fight out of me. I had nothing to live for. So I just followed orders.

"For twenty years I followed orders in the name of Galactic peace, and I hurt. I hurt physically, but even more than that, I was in anguish psychically."

"Then something happened?"

"Oh, yes. A spitfire little Senator from Alderaan started making a menace of herself," he said, a smile of pride spreading across his face. "She sent a couple of droids to Tatooine to try to convince a certain Jedi to get back into the fight. She didn't realize he would bring her brother with her."

"That story can wait for another day," Obi-Wan said, patting Anakin's hand. "Do you need any help getting this cleaned up?"

Anakin looked around the room. The droid he'd planned to finish that day was only about a quarter done. "Yes, that would be nice."

* * *

**Bespin, Cloud City, Lando's Office, ** **39:6:3, seventeenth hour**

Lando looked over another list of things for Tann. She would be back, probably sometime in the morning, if things had gone well. If not, she would be later, and that was fine with him. He was considering what Lobot had been doing for the last week, namely getting Tann's name and likeness put on the wanted lists of every crime lord that he'd ever had any reason to hate. There were actually a couple that he got along with, and so he'd spared them from the fate he was hoping for the likes of Jabba the Hutt. There were several outcomes that he could see as being positive from this course of action. First, she could kill off some of them, ridding the galaxy of their evil stench(literally in Jabba's case). Second, someone could pick the bounty up and come after her, killing her. Or third, a combination of the two. She could kill some of them, but they eventually would get her. That was, of course, if she didn't figure out that he was behind the whole mess and try to kill him. Somehow he doubted it, considering how terribly he had tried to make her life wretched, and she had as yet, only removed one of his hands. He'd done some research, and found that she'd even been nice when she did that. She had previously removed hands one joint at a time.

The comm going off interrupted his reverie. "Yes?" he answered it.

"Sir, you'd better come to Flight Control. There is an unidentified ship coming in, and they say that you will give them clearance."

"Why would I do that?"

"Says their name is Han Solo."

"Ah. I'd like to talk to him before we actually authorize his landing, but I'm sure it will be fine. I'll be down momentarily."

"Very good, sir. I have sent them a vector and have them approaching to land on pad 21-3."

"Fine," Lando said, and cut off the transmission. He didn't let his emotions get the better of him, no matter how much he wanted to let out a big yell, letting the whole station know how happy he was. He still had a bit of acting to do while the Jedi and Han landed.

**  
**


	29. So Close, yet so far away

**AN: Having gotten a very lax response to whether to post location/time, I don't think I'll go back and fix anything. Let me know if you have an opinion on any of it. **

** TriGemini gets Wookiee Cookies because she's the only one who remembered(and posted, as I'm sure everyone else remembers) the scene in ANH that Luke and Han were teasing Leia about. **

**Teresa:The future that Cedric is seeing is both possible, and likely, though, like so many things, is not certain. Yoda would say to him, "Careful you must be when sensing the future. Difficult to see the future is. Always in motion, it is. Certain it never is."**

* * *

Chapter 28

**Bespin, Landing Platform 21, _Millennium Falcon_, 39:6:3, eighteenth hour**

Leia nervously tucked her lightsaber into the extra material that gathered at the waist of the modified robes she was wearing. Her husband was ready, and everyone else was nearly so. She took a deep breath, and nodded to Han. She was ready.

He pressed the button that lowered the ramp; as it hit the ground, they started to file out. There was no one near the platform, surprisingly. Lando had spoken briefly with the ship, long enough to confirm that it was Han was about all. The Flight Control had seemed in favor of shooting them from the sky when they'd sort of refused to give any sort of identification.

Once everyone was out, and the ramp was closed back up, she heard familiar footsteps, and turned to see Lando coming down to meet them, with a couple of droids following him. Leia glanced nervously at Han and Luke, but they seemed at least outwardly not to be concerned about the droids. "Han, glad you could finally make it down. How are the kids?"

"They're fine, staying with their grandparents."

"Hey, you did say something about your father-in-law coming, didn't you?"

"He backed out on us last minute, but we haven't been off Coruscant except to go home in ages, so we came anyway."

"Ah, well, you're still welcome here, you scoundrel, especially when you bring such beautiful women," Lando said, bringing his attention to Leia. She rolled her eyes at him. He'd tried to get her to like him before. It hadn't worked, in either universe.

She mustered up every bit of diplomacy she possessed, and said, "I'm glad to see you again, Lando. I hope you can forgive me for what happened the last time that I was here," the fact that it had been two years, and he bloody well deserved the lightsaber to the throat meant little now.

"Of course," he said. "Think nothing of it."

"So," Han started, asking the question on everyone's mind. "What's with the tin cans?"

Lando looked around behind him, as though he were surprised. "Oh, these. Security. We've been having so many problems with piracy here on Cloud City that it's become necessary to have a constant show of force around to dissuade certain people. You know how it is. So what about you? Who all did you bring?"

"Well, Leia you know, and Aayla," he said, indicating the Twi'lek Master. "Leia's brother and sister, and a good friend of the family, this is Ash," Han waived his hand, indicating the Kel Dor.

"I am pleased to meet you," Ash said with a small bow.

"Friend of the family? How long have you been friends?" Lando asked casually.

"Since we were four. We have been in school together since we started." Ash answered.

"You and Leia?" Ash nodded. There was no reason to add to the suspicions of the droids by indicating that Luke and Leia were twins. "Well, any friend of Leia's is a friend of mine. You are welcome here for as long as you'd like to stay," Lando said to the group as a whole.

Chewie growled a greeting at Lando. "You too, big guy. I could never forget about you."

Chewie replied with something that sounded suspiciously like, 'see that you don't,' to Leia.

Lando started to head off in the direction of the main city. "Well, I have a couple of rooms that you can stay in. Nothing fancy, mind you, but nice enough. If you'll follow me?"

They all headed off in that direction and Lando acted as though he had been inspired, "If you aren't too tired, you can take a tour of the facility. It's really improved since the last time that you were here."

"That would be great," Luke said, speaking up for the first time. She noticed then that, while Jasmine was wide-eyed and curious, she still was practically glued to Luke's side. He didn't seem to mind, though.

* * *

**Coruscant, Jedi Temple, Healers' Wing**

Celia was working through some problems that her math teacher had given for homework. She didn't often leave school with homework; since dedicating herself to healing, she had little personal time, and even less time for things like homework. She usually finished her work quickly, and accurately; she had higher marks than even Cedric. Not that any of her siblings were slouches, but there were degrees of dedication to schoolwork among the Skywalker Clan.

"What are you up to now, Padawan?" her master asked as she walked into her office.

"Homework. I didn't get it all done at school, so I thought that I could finish it up now," she said, looking up from where she had arranged herself on the couch.

"That's fine, but why didn't you get it finished?" she asked.

"I'm not really sure. I guess I've been a bit distracted lately," Celia admitted.

"I can certainly understand that, but why haven't you come and talked to me about it?" Stass asked as she sat down next to Celia.

"I don't think I realized it until today," she said as she set her datapad down on the table next to her.

"What's going on, then?"

"I think I'm worried."

"About what?"

"Cedric."

"What about Cedric has you worried?"

"He's…been different. He doesn't talk to me."

"I see. Have you talked to him about it?"

Celia started examining her toes very carefully. "I quit trying a while ago, for the most part. I tried to talk to him a few weeks ago, but he just shut me out. He had a dream that woke him the other night, but he didn't want to talk much about it, either."

"This doesn't sound like you. You don't let things go like this. Or has my most stubborn Padawan decided to change her stripes?" Master Allie asked lightheartedly, but Celia knew she was terribly worried.

"It hurts to watch him hurt, but it hurts more to think that he doesn't trust me with this. I think it almost hurts more that Luke and Dad can pry this out of him and I can't."

"I think Luke has some authority with Cedric that you don't, and Anakin definitely does. And he is getting to the age where most boys have some things that they don't want to talk about except with other boys."

"I know, Master, but it doesn't hurt any less."

"When you last talked to him, did you try talking, or did you confront him?" Stass asked her, and she thought about it for a moment.

Celia swallowed hard. "I suppose he would have seen it as confrontational."

"You, of course, didn't, because you were doing what you were doing out of love."

"Yes, Master," she admitted sheepishly.

"So, maybe if you toned it down a bit, he might be more responsive."

"I'll try that, Master. Thank you," she said, turning back to her homework.

"I don't like seeing you troubled. It's my job to see that you grow in your understanding of yourself so that you can better help others."

"So why does Cedric have to be so hard-headed?"

"I've asked you the same question, my Padawan. Tenacity is a good trait."

She hung her head in defeat. "I'll blame Daddy for that one."

"Your mother is no less stubborn. I think you get this quality from both of them in equal measure."

"I suppose so, Master."

"He wouldn't be the same person if he were not, do not forget that."

Surprise crossed her face as she considered the ramifications of him not being stubborn. "I don't think I would like that."

"He has worked very hard to make it work for him, rather than against him, but he is still just as stubborn as you are."

"I agree, Master. I'll talk to him. Maybe he'll talk about this dream some more."

"That might be a good place to start," her master agreed, and she patted her on the knee, and left her so that she could finish her homework.

* * *

**Coruscant, Jedi Temple, Skywalker Central**

Anakin felt dread as he approached the time he normally went to bed. It wasn't exactly something he was conscious of, but more of a sensation that crept up on him until he was finally aware that it had settled itself deep inside him. He sighed, trying to dismiss the sensation as much as he could. The problem was that he really didn't feel like dealing with the increasingly disturbing nightmares. _Don't let Jae be alone,_ Jasmine's words came back to him. He cursed silently. _This_ was the reason that she'd said it. He would have been willing to forgo sleep for as long as necessary to keep the nightmares away. He'd done it before. He hadn't slept more than about one night a week for his first two years as Vader, and not much more than two nights in a week after that.

Peaceful sleep had been something that had eluded him for most of his life. Happy moments where everything was right with the universe were few and far between, and very precious to the now-redeemed Sith Lord. He stood in his common room still torn by the decision as to whether he wanted to go bury himself in work on a droid, or go to bed.

He sighed and turned toward the bedroom. Padmé had already gone to sleep. He gently laid his hand against her stomach, and felt one of the twins kicking at his hand. If someone had told him even the day before the Battle of Endor that he would have a chance to start again, and that three months down the road, he would be an expectant father, and he would be living, though it had problems of its own, what was essentially a dream, he would have laughed, telling them that they were crazy.

The twins quieted as he sent reassurance and love in their direction, something that he remembered doing with each of his children, carefully considered or not. He loved each of his children, whether they'd been expected or not. Fully half of them had not been. Especially Jaedrea. Jasmine had been the one he'd seen in visions, bright yet terrible. Jae and Jul hadn't even been so much as a blip on his radar. _Maybe that was a good thing. I think that if Padmé and I had known the full score, it might have changed our opinion of things. _He sighed, changed into sleep pants, and crawled into bed. Still asleep, Padmé rolled over onto her other side, snuggling into him. She fit so perfectly in his arms, it made him remember why he'd done all of this. Why he even wanted to live after all the horrors he'd seen in what felt like two lifetimes. She softened all the hard edges inside him, and just by being there, she made him stronger. _Where would I be without you, Angel?_ he wondered, _And how did I survive so many years without you? _he asked himself, wrapping his arms around her, and surrendering himself to the tortures of sleep.

* * *

**Coruscant, Jedi Temple, Kenobi Quarters**

Jaedrea felt the weird way that she always felt in her Vader dreams. She shook her head, trying to clear the sensation, but it wouldn't go. She accepted it as part of the dream, and examined her surroundings. It was a hallway, but not in the black place, it was somewhere else. The person she was in the dream was in a hurry. _Vader, I'm going to see Vader,_ she noted. She knew other things; Vader had been injured by Kenobi, this was why he was the way he was, and who-she-was was satisfied by the outcome of recent events, at least for the most part.

She turned then, to go into a room. It was an operating theater. She hadn't known that term prior to that moment. There was a person lying on the operating table; burns covered the whole of his body, and he didn't have any of his limbs. He was in terrible pain, both from the burns, which were not being treated, and from the things that the droids around him were doing to him. A memory, one of her own this time, flooded through her mind, nearly blocking the dream from her. _"You've got a fake arm, like Daddy does," she said to the cloaked figure of Vader. They were standing in a shadowy, dark, dank, nasty place, with lightsabers drawn. _

"_All of my limbs have been replaced by cybernetics, young one. The price of my arrogance was my vitality."_

"_What will be the price of mine?" she asked, confused._

"_I do not know the answer to that, Skywalker. I do not readily see the future, but if you continue down this path toward the dark side, everything that you have or do love will die," he said, and she remembered the terribly trapped feeling that what he said gave her. "The next time that I see you, it will not be a pleasant experience."_

"_And this has been?" she yelled at him, arrogant defiance the only emotion she could identify in her own voice._

"_Oh, yes. This has been an incredibly pleasant visit. I have yet to hurt you, and that could be oh, so easily accomplished, since the Jedi have tied you up and put a bow on you the way that they have," Vader said, a gloved finger tracing her jaw line, making her shiver violently. She remembered the fear she had had of him that day._

The memory stopped as suddenly as it had started. He wasn't dead. He was very much alive, and very much after her.

* * *

**Coruscant, Jedi Temple, Kenobi Quarters**

Obi-Wan woke to nauseating inner turmoil. He blocked it out momentarily as he found his bearings. _Help me, Master,_ came Anakin's unmistakable tone.

He went to see what was happening with Jaedrea, for it had seemed that waking one would wake the other. The images he was receiving were disturbing him, if for no other reason than he knew Jaedrea was likely seeing them as well. For that matter, now that he'd thought of it, he was distinctly getting images from her. Anakin had once described the reconstruction of Darth Vader to Shmi, and he'd only given her the most, bare-bones, terse explanation that she would let him get away with. He'd never mentioned it again, but now he was reliving it. With as much physical pain as Mustafar had put him through, this had to have been at least ten times worse. Somehow, though, he seemed to be dealing with it better. It was only physical pain. There was no emotional pain to go along with it. Obi-Wan was willing to bet that if he asked Anakin which hurt more, Anakin would have said Mustafar.

Obi-Wan stepped into Jaedrea's room, and he tried to shake her awake, but it did no good. Physical proximity to her brought more detailed images, and the utter rejection and revulsion at the satisfaction that Sidious was projecting as a part of this replayed memory. Her anguish and sorrow at what Vader had been required to endure at Sidious's hand came to him clearly, easily. He began to wonder how Sidious was affecting her, and if he could somehow find a way to block that, as he waited for the dream to end.

* * *

**Coruscant, Jedi Temple, Skywalker Central**

Anakin felt as though he had hit a wall of awareness, and a painful one at that. He was suddenly, fully, and clearly Vader, just after Mustafar, just after his fight with Obi-Wan, just before the droids started the surgery to make him into the Masked Terror that had haunted the galaxy for twenty-three years. Pain. He was not in pain, he was pain. There was no coherent thought, no feeling, no love, no hate. But there was pain. And then there was another kind of pain. Pain in sympathy to his, and it took him what felt like forever to finally figure out where it was coming from. Jaedrea. This pain was Jaedrea's pain, not his, though it made him hurt like nothing else that she was hurting, and the remembered pain bled off into the Force. _Help me, Master, _the thought came. It was the same thought he had been thinking on that long ago day, but now he thought it for an entirely different reason, and to an entirely different person. The pain slammed back into him, leaving him gasping. The torture was nearly enough to make him feel hatred welling up inside him for his former Master. _You are better than this, Anakin. You are stronger than he is. Jaedrea, love, and kindness are your strengths_. The voice sounded vaguely like Obi-Wan's, though it was only one he heard inside his head. He'd heard it many times over his life, whether or not he'd been anywhere around Obi-Wan or not. It was, he supposed, his conscience, the wisdom distilled from Obi-Wan's teachings.

"My Lord, the construction is finished ... he lives," he heard vaguely, tinny, as the pain abated to a more tolerable level.

"Good. Good," Palpatine's voice said as the table he was laying on started to move him upright. "Lord Vader, can you hear me?"

"Yes, My Master," he said, looking around. "Where is Padmé? Is she safe, is she all right?"

"I'm afraid she died…it seems in your anger, you killed her," Palpatine replied.

"I couldn't have! She was alive! I felt her! She was alive! It's impossible! No!!!" the scream, the feelings he put into it, the denial of the untruth of the statement were just as strong as the day he'd first uttered the words.

The tone of the dream changed suddenly. Jaedrea had been released, but he was still trapped for a moment longer. Palpatine's face changed to one of his more evil-looking sneers. "You should remember your place, _Lord_ Vader," he said, and the dream dissolved. He woke in a cold sweat, gasping as though he were a fish out of water.

* * *

**Coruscant, Jedi Temple, Kenobi Quarters**

Jaedrea looked up at the reconstruction again. Not much had changed, except that he looked more like the black figure she'd come to know so well. A medical droid came up to her, and said, "My Lord, the construction is finished ... he lives."

"Good. Good," the voice of who-she-was said. Something happened as she moved closer to the table, and it started to stand him upright. "Lord Vader, can you hear me?"

"Yes, My Master," he said, looking around. "Where is Padmé? Is she safe, is she all right?"

"I'm afraid she died…it seems in your anger, you killed her," the words sounded so sincere, but she could feel the true emotions behind them somehow, and knew the truth. Whoever it was that she was supposed to be only cared whether he thought she was dead, because that would make him stronger in the Dark Side. She felt sorry for the manipulation that Darth Vader was enduring, for the Dark Lord had known very well that at that moment, though not for too many more, she was still alive, and that Vader had little if anything to do with her demise. That had been his doing.

"I couldn't have! She was alive! I felt her! She was alive! It's impossible! No!!!" The scream ripped through the dream, and she found herself awake, with Obi-Wan there.

"Master," she cried, throwing herself into his safe, warm arms.

* * *

**Coruscant, Jedi Temple, Kenobi Quarters**

Obi-Wan comforted Jaedrea, knowing that she had been through a terrible thing that night. It took her some time and her father's presence before she was able to calm down. They were in the common room by that time, and the position that father and daughter had chosen to arrange themselves in made him smile. It was not unlike when Anakin would wake with nightmares when he was small, and Qui-Gon had been the only one who could comfort him, and Qui-Gon would lay on the sofa, and Anakin's slight form curled up on his chest, held tightly to comfort him. "I remembered something," she said, finally, sniffing several times as she said it.

"What's that?" Anakin asked casually.

"I think Vader is alive. I don't think he's dead like you said he was. And he's _scary._"

"Why do you say that?" Obi-Wan asked.

"I think I met him. I talked to him."

"What did he say to you?" Anakin asked her.

"That he'd lost all of his limbs. That the price of his arrogance was his vitality," she said carefully, trying to remember the exact phrasing.

"Do you remember anything else about that conversation?"

"I asked him a question, but it didn't make much sense to me."

"What's that?"

"I asked him what the price of mine would be," she said, quietly, as though even the very words frightened her now.

"Why doesn't it make sense to you?"

"Well, I suppose if I were to try to think like I was then…I was having dark thoughts, right? So I guess that if we were maybe talking about the dark side, that maybe it would make sense."

"So what was his answer?" Anakin asked, though both of them knew the answer to that question. The discussion she referred to had been carefully orchestrated before, and dissected after.

"He didn't know. He said that the next time that I saw him he wouldn't be nice."

"And then?" Obi-Wan prompted her.

"I asked him if he thought it had been. I didn't hardly even recognize my own voice. It felt weird. But he said that he'd been really, really nice, because of some reason, but I'm not sure what. And he said something about the Jedi tying me up and putting a bow on me? Anyway, after that, he touched me, and I don't think I've been so scared in my whole life."

Obi-Wan could see, though Jaedrea could not, Anakin wince at the fear he'd caused in her. "Well, now you know a bit more about Vader. Is he still so scary?"

"I think if I met him in real life, he would still be scary, but in these dreams, it's different," Jaedrea said, thinking through her words.

"Vader isn't really that scary," Anakin said quietly.

"What do you mean, Daddy?"

"He was a broken man; your dreams showed you that, physically as well as emotionally. He had lost his will to fight."

"Because he didn't have the people he loved?" Jaedrea asked.

"Yes, that was most of the reason," Anakin answered.

"You told me Vader was dead, and now you don't deny that I saw him alive," Jaedrea reasoned.

"I didn't say Vader was dead. I said that he died." Anakin qualified.

Jaedrea twisted herself so she could see his face. "What's the difference?" she asked suspiciously.

"He died. But in some ways he still lived. His physical body died, it disappeared into the Force. But something of Vader remained," he explained.

"So he's like both?" Jaedrea asked, confused.

Anakin sighed. "I don't quite know how to explain it, Jaedera."

"Is he dead or alive?"

"The body of Vader died a long time ago."

"So his spirit, that part of him is alive?"

"Yes, that part of him is very much alive."

"Is that part of him like physical alive, or is he just a spirit?" Jaedrea asked perceptively.

Anakin closed his eyes, and Obi-Wan knew that he was struggling to try to put together a truth that she wouldn't draw conclusions from that he didn't want her drawing. "Jaedrea, I want to explain some things to you about Vader before we delve into this any further," Obi-Wan said.

She nodded, her attention off Anakin for the moment.

"I met Vader after something very special happened to him. He was able to redeem himself by doing something that should by all rights have cost him his life. He did this to save the life of another. He was no longer a Sith when I met him."

She looked confused. "But what about, in my dream, there was something about you hurting him, and that was why he was in the suit?"

"That was true, but we will talk about that in a few moments. When you met Vader, he was trying to warn you off of the path of the dark side."

"Why would he want to do that?"

"Having fallen himself, he knows how much it hurts to fall completely to the dark side," Anakin said, "He was trying to save you from having to learn that lesson yourself."

"When I spoke with Vader, he had come from the future. He came back to make the galaxy a better place. He didn't know how he had come back; the Force had done it, perhaps, or he had been able to draw enough power from what was going on at that time to do it with his force of will."

"He came from the future?" Jaedrea asked with no small amount of disbelief.

"He did," Obi-Wan confirmed. "He made profound changes as well. I've seen snippets of the future Vader lived in; it wasn't pleasant."

"So, now, what happened to Vader was that he returned to the time he had come from. But the future was no longer the same," Anakin said. "And he was given his body back."

"So he's alive, like really alive?"

"Yes," Anakin said.

"But if he went to the past to make it better, he would have made sure that he didn't get all burned, wouldn't he?"

"He did indeed. In fact, he made sure that the circumstances that brought about his fall to the dark side were impossible to recreate."

"So he never was bad?"

"No, he never was bad."

"So he could be anybody?" Jaedrea asked, her fear of the mechanical terror that Palpatine had created rising.

"No, only himself," Anakin assured her.

"But, who is he?"

Anakin looked down, not willing to meet her eyes as he told her the truth, "He is me."

Obi-Wan could almost literally see the wheels turning in her head as she assimilated the information that she had known about Vader into a framework that this conversation provided her. "I'm sorry, Daddy," she said finally.

"I'm sorry, too, baby," he said.

Obi-Wan watched as she asked him a few questions that filled in details of the conversations that they had had about Vader, and finding peace in the fact that, while her father could be a very scary person, he still only had her best interests at heart, she fell asleep again. Anakin blinked sleepily at him. "Are you staying here, or shall we move her back to her room?"

"I'll be fine here, Master. I don't know how Padmé will feel about it, but I'll deal with that tomorrow."

"Easier to ask forgiveness than permission?"

"Always," he said with a yawn. He shifted Jaedrea slightly so that he was more comfortable, and in moments he was asleep as well.

Obi-Wan went to bed, a slight smile on his face.

**

* * *

****Bespin, Cloud City, _Vengence Reborn_**

Sev'rance Tann landed her ship. She'd felt queasy for the last half of the trip to Bespin, and now it was turning into full blown nausea. She'd eaten little on the trip, her usual fare, ration bars, but it hadn't satisfied her hunger. She was slightly worried about the baby. Ration bars were nutritionally sound, and she'd never had problems going long stretches with only that for food.

But that had been before she'd gotten pregnant. She walked to the rooms she had taken over for her personal use while she was on Cloud City, and found a basket of fresh fruit had been placed there. Curious, she examined it, her earlier nausea forgotten. She picked out something that looked good, took it to the sink and washed it, then took a bite. She couldn't identify it, but it tasted exquisite. She walked over to the comm station and sat down, intent on finding out more about her condition, since it was apparent that she didn't know enough.

The HoloNet was quite informative about pregnancy in general. So she requested articles related to nausea and pregnancy. From the voluminous results she got, it was apparently common. She chose an article entitled, "Cravings and Morning Sickness in Human Mothers," since articles related to the Chiss were virtually non-existent in general, and it was even odds that there was even information about what happened to pregnant Chiss women. She'd certainly never run across any Chiss females in the Republic, and only a couple of Chiss males, though they were rather prominent figures. Both military, though, and she found military types incredibly boring in general, and didn't make an exception just because their skin was the same color as hers was.

She chose to look at articles about human pregnancy because the baby was half-human in the first place, and to all appearances, the differences between the Chiss and humans was little more than skin deep, at least as far as she had been able to tell.

_Women usually seek prenatal treatment between the second week and the second month of pregnancy, depending chiefly on how regular their cycle is._ "Prenatal treatment?" Sev'rance wondered aloud, but continued reading._ Morning sickness is usually the second sign discernable by the expectant mother. Unfortunately, this is caused by the fluctuation of hormones in early pregnancy, so there is little that medical science can do about it._ "No cure?" she asked to the screen, but it didn't answer her._ There are women who never experience it, and at the other extreme, those who experience it the entire pregnancy. Most women experience anywhere from two weeks to two months of morning sickness, and some events can make it worse. Space travel is discouraged for pregnant women, because, with their systems already in turmoil, the slight disruption that hyperspace usually causes can be enough to make some women terribly sick. _"Well, that doesn't seem to be happening to me. I think it was the ration bars."

_Once a woman gets through morning sickness, and sometimes even before, other hormonal fluctuations cause cravings for sometimes strange foods, or strange combinations of foods. It has been noted that a number of children have shown strong preferences for the foods that the mother craves. There is no definitive study about the veracity of this claim, and it is quite likely that this isn't something that will be studied extensively. _"Cravings?" she asked, looking at the core of the piece of fruit that she had just consumed. She looked back at the screen and started researching what exactly was meant by 'prenatal treatment,' and how necessary this treatment was, and whether that could explain why normal food seemed to be making her nauseous.

* * *

**Coruscant, Jedi Temple, Kenobi Quarters**

Qui-Gon entered Obi-Wan's quarters. It wasn't a habit to check on Obi-Wan, not any more, at least. He'd done so for most of Anakin's Padawanship, but now he had fallen out of the habit. But he felt the need to do it this morning. A strange sight greeted him. Anakin was still sleeping on the sofa, and Jaedrea curled up beside him, with one of Anakin's arms securing her in place. It was probably a good thing that he'd chosen his left arm for the task, as Qui-Gon remembered a few mornings waking up from that position with cramps in his arm.

"I didn't want to wake them. These dreams have been so rough on both of them," Obi-Wan commented, entering the common room from the kitchen.

"Mmm. I think both of them have busy days, don't you?"

Obi-Wan sighed. "Yes, they do. I think it's that they both look so innocent when they are asleep."

"You've known Anakin for long enough to know that he's far from innocent."

"I can pretend once in a while." Obi-Wan said, the corners of his mouth turning up of their own accord.

"It does you no good, Obi-Wan, really. I can remember when Anakin was that small; when he really was that innocent."

"I can remember not a few nights when it was you and him curled up on the sofa."

"Yes, I remember that, too. I'm surprised sometimes that he actually sleeps in a bed, as much time as he's spent on either your couch or mine."

"Master?" Jaedrea asked sleepily.

"It's time to get up, Padawan," Obi-Wan said.

She slid from the sofa, walking with her eyes closed, rubbing one of them with the back of her hand as she yawned, to her room to get ready for her day. Her sudden absence woke Anakin, who sat up, rubbing his eyes. "I haven't slept that well in a while," he said.

"What do you mean?" Obi-Wan asked.

"I'm usually up for various reasons at least two or three times during the night, and sometimes I don't actually even go back to sleep before something else requires my attention. It was kind of nice to go to sleep then wake up in the morning even though I did get up for one nightmare," he stretched as he stood up. "I suppose I'd better go home before I do much of anything else, though," he said, looking down at his rumpled sleep clothes.

"What various reasons do you have?" Qui-Gon asked him.

"It depends. Sometimes, it's when Padmé comes to bed, though since she's been taking time off from the Senate she's in bed before I am. Jasmine has nightmares often. Cedric woke me last night, and now this thing with Jaedrea, and all that on top of my own nightmares, but usually only one of those things on a given night. Now we're watching Leia's twins, so I'm up usually once to feed them. When the twins get here, I'll be doing most of their care. There's always something. It isn't anything I figure I can do anything about, but I do appreciate good sleep when I get it."

* * *

**Coruscant, Jedi Temple complex, NFS classroom area**

Jaedrea went to the classroom where Obi-Wan was teaching his Political Strategy class, and as she'd hoped, he was still there, and he was alone. "Master, I need to talk to you."

"What do you need, Jae?"

"Well, while I was in flight class, Elysa said something to me."

"What was that?"

"That I shouldn't be allowed back into classes; that I shouldn't be a Padawan anymore."

"What do you think about that?"

"I don't know, Master. I've thought that myself, but I want to be a Jedi; I want to do good things. But I'm afraid that she's right," she said.

"You made a mistake, Jaedrea. We all make mistakes. The thing is that you need to learn from them."

"But what if she's right, Master? What if I shouldn't be a Jedi?"

"The greatest mistake you can make in life is to continually fear you will make one," Obi-Wan said.

"Yes, Master, but I'm afraid that I can't do this anymore."

"If you have made mistakes, even serious ones, there is always another chance for you. What we call failure is not the falling down but the staying down."

She looked at him suspiciously. "What Jedi Master said that?"

His eyes twinkled merrily. "Ah, you should be able to find that out for yourself, my very young Padawan."

She huffed, and left, but she felt much better, even though she would have to go find out before she saw him again, because he _would_ ask.

* * *

**Coruscant, Jedi Temple, Skywalker Central**

Padmé laid Sabé down next to her brother, after having taken them to breakfast with the rest of the family. They were both very good babies, fussing much less than any of her children. Maybe that was partly because they were her first grandchildren. Not yet old enough to show more than the basics of their personalities, Anakin seemed to find them less than interesting. He hadn't said anything much to her today, and he'd gone over to Obi-Wan's in the middle of the night for some reason. Probably something she didn't want to think about.

As her twin grandchildren settled down for a short nap, she started looking at what Bail had left her that morning. He had been in a hurry, because between getting the people who were working on the new Constitution going, and the troubling developments concerning the IGBC, he really didn't have much time to devote to ensuring she was kept in the loop, so he left it to, from the construction of the sentences and the language chosen, Chis. She read the report, and felt a certainty settling in the pit of her stomach: the Outer Rim planets were at their wit's end, and the IGBC was not going to let up.

* * *

**Coruscant, Senate Rotunda, a small meeting room**

Cedric was busy talking to the other committee members when Bail came in.

"We have an emergency situation in the Senate, we need all of you there."

"What's going on Senator?" Cedric asked.

"I'm afraid I can't answer that, they've voted this be a closed session, Jedi Skywalker," Bail answered with sympathy.

"Oh…well, I'll be at the Temple then if the emergency ends and we can reconvene."

"Very well," Bail said and led the Senators out.

Cedric gathered his things and took a cab back to the apartment. He wasn't old enough to fly the skylanes of Coruscant yet, at least not in the daytime, even though he thought he'd be just as good, if not better than some of the idiots they let on the skylanes. He sighed as he arrived and paid the cab driver, who had some insane ideas about how to change lanes. Cedric for his part believed that it was only his gentle persuasion with the Force that had kept both of them alive. He had nothing to do now, his schedule had been cleared for today's session and he really didn't feel like going home. He wandered the halls of the Temple and eventually found himself outside of the Healers wing. He checked his chronometer as his stomach growled; it was half an hour past when he normally ate lunch.

He sighed again and decided maybe Celia would keep him company while he ate. Ordinarily he wouldn't feel the need for company, but his most recent dream and the sudden block of unfilled time made him want to seek it out. With Luke off planet, and his father busy with Jaedrea, that left only one person that he really felt at all comfortable talking about anything with, Celia.

He entered the wing and found his sister doing paperwork on some recent patients, she looked up and smiled, but he could feel the surprise roll off of her in waves.

"Hi, sis. Have you eaten yet?"

"Huh?" she said, and Cedric had to suppress a chuckle when her stomach rumbled.

"I'll take that as a no. Let's go to Dex's," he said.

"Dex's? This must be serious," Celia said.

"Yeah," Cedric replied, the last thing he to her before they got to Dex's. Once there, for the first time he told his sister everything about what was going on with him.

* * *

**Coruscant, Senate Rotunda, Senate Main Room**

The Senate was quickly called to order once the Reform committee members arrived with Bail. He took his place on the Chancellor's dais, and recognized Tomas Leper of Dantooine.

"Thank you Chancellor, honorable members of the Senate. We come before this august body to resolve, once and for all, the unfair practices of the InterGalactic Banking Clan. They have offered many of our most desperate and vulnerable citizens what initially appears to be very generous terms for loans they must have to either stay in business or keep their homes. Only the terms aren't as generous as the victims of these con artists would have—" Leper said and was interrupted by the Banking Clan's senator.

"Lies! We offer your people the only terms they can get, it is not our fault that other lending entities will not do business with them," the senator shouted.

"Order! Order! The Senator from the Banking Clan has not been recognized!" Chis Bon shouted, letting the outrage reach even his even tempered voice.

"The Banking Clan is correct, our people can't get loans from other sources, because anytime another bank or loan agency tries to do business with us, their computers get infected by viruses, or the loan officers sent are harassed at best or wind up dead at worst." As Leper took a breath, the Banking Clan senator began speaking.

"You accuse us of this? It is not OUR fault that your planets are criminal dens of petty thieves and murderers!"

"That is an outrageous statement coming from one of the heads of the largest criminal enterprise in the Republic this side of the Hutts!" the Senator from Dantooine began.

"You DARE compare us to the SLUGS! I will take great pleasure in the foreclosure proceedings on your entire region, SENATOR!" The Banking Clan's Senator shouted.

"ORDER! ORDER!" Bail shouted, his aide not able to be heard over the shouting, hammering the gavel down.

"Of course Chancellor, I apologize for my outburst," the Senator from Dantooine said.

"Will the Senator from Dantooine be censored for his slander?" the Banking Clan Senator asked.

"No, he won't be, and you WILL be quiet until the Senator from Tatooine is finished with his allotted time, which is still at twenty minutes,"

"That is impossible! He's already been talking for ten!"

"No, he hasn't been, Senator. You, on the other hand, have been, and without being recognized by this chair. If I censor anyone it will be you, now return to your station!" The pod of the Banking Clan slowly moved back to where it came from, Bail glaring at it all the way, once it arrived he turned back to Leper, "Now Senator, begin again and I will not tolerate ANY further interruptions."

Leper continued his presentation without further interruption, he finished with, "…and it is for these reasons that we support passage of the Fair Banking Act. All banks and businesses should be free to do business anywhere in the Republic and any citizen of the Republic should be free to do business with any of them. We now motion to previous question on the measure."

* * *

**Bespin, Cloud City, guest quarters**

Jasmine had been very excited by the prospect of getting to explore Cloud City, but over breakfast, between Luke and Aayla, they had decided that she needed to stay in their rooms. Lando was going to stay with her and Han and Chewie. The only comfort that she took in it was that at least she wasn't going to be the only one left behind. "Be good, Little Bit," Luke said as he and the other Jedi left to check some areas Lando hadn't taken them to.

"I'm always good, Master," she said quietly.

"I know," he answered, ruffling her hair slightly. "You are a very good Padawan."

"I don't want to be here without you," she said.

"You'll be fine. I'll be back in less than an hour."

She nodded, finally accepting that she wouldn't be able to talk him out of leaving her behind. "Yes, Master," she said, dejectedly settling into one of the room's sofas, curling up so that she was as small as possible.

"Let us know if anything weird happens, if you can," Luke said to Han and Lando.

"We will," Han said, and the Jedi left.

"Well, kid, we're going to play cards. Did you want to join?" Han asked her.

"I've never played cards," she answered him.

"Well, there's no time like the present to learn."

She shook her head. "No, thank you."

"You can't just mope around all day because Luke didn't take you with him. Look at me, I'm not moping."

"I don't think you really want to teach me cards," she said.

"You don't think so?"

She shook her head again. "You won't like playing cards with me. I'll win."

"Well, I might let you win a couple of games to build your confidence up."

"I'm fine," she said with a look that should have closed the discussion. She felt Han's surprise at how much she could look like Leia.

"Are you sure?" Lando asked, speaking up for the first time.

"I'm sure," she said, and pulled out her datapad so she could work on her Political Strategy homework. She watched out of the corner of her eye as Han shrugged at Lando and he and Chewie and Lando sat down at the table, leaving her be. She kept an eye on them; they looked like they were having fun, but something was unsettled in the Force, and it related to them, more to Lando, but to all three. It wasn't specific enough to pin down, which irked her slightly, but since she'd talked with Luke about needing to learn about things for herself, it hadn't really bothered her.

Then something changed, and it felt like a million things were going on at once. She reacted; there was no time for anything else. Using the Force, she bounced herself into the air, just high enough to do the half twist she needed to do before flipping and landing between the three adults and the door before it was fully open, admitting droids that were suddenly trying to fire on all of them. She moved with blinding speed catching the first blaster bolt before her lightsaber was fully ignited, sending it back to the droid, hitting the violent machine square in the nose destroying it, before the remains of its body hit the floor she'd deflected two more bolts back to their respective droids. Then she was on the move to the door, cutting down two droids just as they were coming in. The Force sang through her as she moved, and she couldn't help but grin and she cut down a sixth droid, clearing the hall, for the time being. She closed down her blade just as Luke contacted her. _I think it's time to get Chewie, Lando, and Han to the _Falcon,_ Little Bit. _

_Yes, Master,_ she replied. "We need to get to the ship," she said, suddenly authoritative, summoning her datapad to her hand with the Force. Her formally shy, unsure expression now all business, Jedi business.

Lando looked at Han. "If her little sister can do that, you had better never do anything to hurt Leia. I'd hate to think what her father could do."

Jasmine made no response, but waited for them to get ready to go. They didn't take long, but she felt a small amount of resentment from Lando that she was giving orders. She knew Han knew that she was only relaying orders. Han, for someone who wasn't Force-sensitive, was at least _awfully_ perceptive. Her mother could be the same way, sometimes. She shrugged it off as being around those sensitive to the Force sort of forced a bit of sensitivity on them. Self-preservation.


	30. Revealed

**AN: So here is the much delayed main fight chapter. I hope everyone likes it, and it will likely be close to the end of the month before I get the next chapter posted, school is taking so much of my time this semester. I might get some writing done over fall break, I don't know yet. **

**I want to thank the readers who have stuck with this story disspite its bumps. **

**SWInitiate: Thanks for taking the time to review. Hopefully you received the note I e-mailed you.**

**starwarssomeone:That, of course, is something you'll have to read**

**Charlie Hayden:Sorry, sorry. Of course, you are right, I was just repeating what someone said, which was wrong of me, but I was a bit tired when I was writing author's notes last time. **

**rimera:Why thank you. **

* * *

Chapter 29

**Bespin, Cloud City, lower levels**

Luke and Ash checked to see how many and what types of droids were stored in the lower levels of the city. Lando had informed them that Tann had taken over some levels for her own use. Not that he was using them to begin with, but he didn't like that she'd basically turned it into storage for the droids. They were headed back now, their quick survey revealing not more than two battalions of droids, and only the basic models in storage. They headed by the loading docks, to see if they could possibly figure out what she was sending out such massive quantities of goods to build. They surveyed the area, but there was nothing particularly revealing.

He instinctively brought up his lightsaber to deflect a bolt aimed at his formerly unprotected back, and was under a firestorm in a few seconds. Ash turned so that they were back-to-back, and didn't have to worry so much about protecting themselves. Half a circle was much easier to protect than a whole one. As they fought, memories surfaced and threatened to overwhelm him, but he kept control, gleaning the information that the memories contained without actually reliving them.

He and Ash, and a number of other Padawans, for that matter, had been trained in this very style of combat, though they'd trained against remotes, rather than droids. A small laugh escaped from him.

"What could possibly be funny at a time like this?" Ash asked him.

"I was just thinking that the remotes we have at the Temple are a lot better than this."

Ash pondered this statement in between deflecting bolts. "You're right, they are."

Jasmine's adrenaline rush hit him then. _I think it's time to get Chewie, Lando, and Han to the _Falcon,_ Little Bit_, he told her.

_Yes, Master,_ she answered.

He deflected a few bolts as he questioned his twin,_ Leia, are you doing ok?_

_We're fine. Something going on?_

_We got attacked by droids. Expect it soon if it hasn't already. We'll head to the _Falcon_, regroup, and determine tactics then. There are only about two battalions of droids, so we may go through them all before we even get there._

_Yes, oh masterful brother. _

_Can the sarcasm, sis. I'm busy _and_ double-talking you. Don't push it right now._

_Sorry, _she said contritely.

_You're forgiven. I'll talk to you when you get to the ship._

She didn't respond, but she didn't really need to. "We'll head back to the ship to regroup," he told Ash.

"Does everybody else know that?"

"Of course."

Even though Ash had been around Luke's family practically all his life, their facility with the Force astounded him still on occasion. "I forget you can do that."

"I know."

"That's why you went quiet all of a sudden."

"Yep," Luke answered him.

"How is it that you always get into more trouble than any single being should be capable of getting themselves into in a lifetime?"

"Oh, I'm just that lucky, Ash. Dad's lucky like that, too, you know."

"I know. I can't remember now just why I was excited enough about this trip to go without him."

Luke laughed again. "I think it was something about having not been off Coruscant in a year."

"Oh, that," Ash said, his sarcasm very evident through the Force. "I think I changed my mind."

"Too late," Luke said. They hadn't had a chance to talk like this in a while. Ash had picked up a good deal of biting sarcasm from being around his father. It made him more fun.

"Well, it was a thought. Didn't you say we were headed for the ship?"

"Oh, I suppose we should head that way."

They started to wade through the droids in the direction of the door, slowly circling, maintaining their back-to-back stance.

* * *

**_Bright Hope Ranger_, Coruscant, Landing Pad**

Julia landed the ship on the landing pad carefully, under the watchful eye of her Master. "Very good, Julia. You aren't home in time for breakfast, or your first class, but I'm sure you can pick something up, and head to your second class, can you not?" he asked as they took their bags off the ship. Some older Padawans had been assigned to the Landing Pad, and they would put the ship back where it was supposed to be. Eventually she would be assigned to do the same thing, but she wasn't anywhere near old enough. She would need to be sixteen before she would be permitted to fly without supervision. Even Skywalkers weren't permitted to bypass those rules.

"We aren't going to work on my lightsaber yet?" she asked, a little disappointed that she would have to go to school.

"Tonight, perhaps. We shall see. Lightsabers do take time, and it will not hurt anything to let this be until a bit later. But your schooling is going on as we speak, and you should get to your classes so that you aren't missing anything," he informed her as they moved into the Temple proper.

"I'm only missing Flight class right now," she said.

"Which is why I'm not worried about you getting to class right this moment. But I expect you to be in your Lightsaber class today, as well as your other classes," he said with a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"Yes, Master," she said, sighing inwardly.

"I will see you after you get out of school."

"Yes, Master," she said, more cheerfully this time. She headed to her family's quarters to deposit her bag, grab something to eat and her practice lightsaber before she went to class.

* * *

**Coruscant, Jedi Temple, Skywalker Central**

Padmé paced worriedly. Cedric had stopped by, saying something about Senate having gone into closed session, and he was going to find something to do elsewhere. She turned to trace her path again, and ran into Anakin. "I didn't hear you come in," she said.

"I've been here for a while. I checked on Sabé and Kitster. But you are going to wear a hole in the carpet if you don't stop."

"Oh, Ani, the Senate is just falling apart without me there," she said, worry seeping into her voice and her eyes as she looked up at him.

"I doubt that," he said, and picked up the datapad she'd been reading, and scanned it quickly. "Well, it sounds like business as usual."

"But what you aren't reading is the tension that's been building for months, years, actually, the history behind this bill."

"There's something else, too," he said to her.

"Cedric stopped by, saying that the Senators who are in the Constitutional Committee got pulled up for a closed session of Senate."

"You're worried," he stated. She was an open book to him, not that it would have been really hard to figure out.

"Very."

"Why don't you go over there and see if you can help?"

"I can't."

"Whyever not?" he asked, putting his long arms around her.

"I don't feel well, and the twins are kicking up a storm, and with Sabé and Kitster here, I don't think I can go."

"Sabé and Kitster can go to the crèche, and as for these two," he said, his hand sliding down to her bulging stomach, "they are reacting to your anxiety."

The twins settled quickly to their father's touch. In fact, she felt better for him being there. "I guess I have been tying myself up in knots."

"That's better. Did you want me to take you over to the Senate?"

"You've never offered to go to Senate with me before. Why do you want to go?" she asked suspiciously.

"So that I can make sure that you aren't overdoing it."

His protectiveness, always fierce and always present, was rearing its head. "I can do that myself."

"I know you can, but I just want to make sure that you do. I have nothing better to do today, with Ash being gone."

"You told me a couple of days ago that you always had something better to be doing."

"No, I said there's always something for me to do. I didn't make any judgments as to what was better than what."

She sighed. "I want to go."

"Then we will go."

* * *

**Bespin, Cloud City, Landing Pad near the _Falcon_**

Aayla Secura came around a corner with Leia right behind her; she suddenly had her lightsabers in her hands and on. Leia brought her own weapon up and activated it, just as she suddenly felt a need to turn around. As soon as she did she saw two droids, and they were firing. For an instant, Leia was convinced she was going to die, but then something astonishing happened. She deflected both bolts right back to the droids that fired them, destroying them utterly. The next thing Leia was aware of was her feet moving and before her conscious thoughts could catch up she had cut down two more droids. More were coming, and Leia thought that Master Secura would decide to surrender as her instincts were screaming at her to do, but all she saw on her Master's face was a feral grin, and the look was both familiar and reassuring, while at the same time alien and very frightening.

"This will be fun, Padawan," her Master said.

Leia blinked a couple of times as her consciousness caught up to her Jedi instincts. "Yes, Master," she said, grinning herself before she realized it. _Just do what is needed, don't think about how it is being accomplished, _she heard her master's voice, and she realized that this misunderstanding of what was going on was because she didn't believe that she could be a proper Jedi. Instincts of twenty years of training prompted her to deflect, and redirect the bolts being shot at her. As she did, she understood something consciously that had eluded her for years. _Let go your conscious self._ Words from Master Yoda's vast wisdom came back to her. A thousand times, she was sure; he had told her that, over the years of her training. So she did. Acting instead of thinking, she hit a button on her lightsaber, activating the second blade, extending her lightstaff fully, making it easier to deflect bolts from both directions at once. The Force directed her actions, in part and sometimes in whole, as she continued the battle.

* * *

**Coruscant, Senate Rotunda, Main Chamber**

Bail was slightly shocked at the breech of protocol shown by the Outer Rim Senators, but on the other hand, he didn't feel that they could afford to allow the IGBC to speak. It handled the situation nicely, if somewhat rudely. "I have a motion on the floor to Call to Previous Question, do I have a second?" he asked woodenly.

Several Senators spoke up, and he declared, "I have a second."

Before he could get any further in the procedure, the IGBC Senator said, "I call for a roll call vote," and Bail cursed the being silently. That was something that would make it more difficult. Every Senator would have to go on record as to their opinion on the matter, making it more difficult to ensure that they would have enough votes to ensure the Fair Banking Act passed.

"I assume that you mean the vote for the Fair Banking Act, not the Call to Previous Question?"

The Senator acknowledged the statement with what looked like a smile and a deeply described bow.

"Those in favor of Calling to Previous Question, please say aye."

The resounding response told him the Senate was terribly tired of the bill, and had formed a strong opinion about their vote. "Nays?" he queried, and there were a few.

"Abstentions?" Of those there were none.

"We will reconvene in an hour for the roll call vote for the measure."

"Why does the Chair wish to delay this vote?" The Banking Clan's Senator questioned hotly.

"The Chair must obtain a current list of Senators present," Bail answered calmly. "I don't usually bring that with me. If anyone hasn't checked in this morning with the Sergeant-at-Arms, please do so in the next hour," he said, addressing the Senate as a whole.

The Banking Clan was worried. Delays might mean changed minds. There were some out there that weren't totally in the back pocket of the Banking Clan. That was good for their side.

* * *

**Bespin, Cloud City, upper levels, near the new military outpost**

Leia and her master had been fighting hard for some time. She wasn't sure anymore how long it had been, but there was no way that she wanted to take the time to glance at a chronometer, if she had even known where one was. They hadn't moved far in the time that they had been fighting, either. Droids were easy kills, but there were so many of them, it was still a very pitched battle. Then the droids seemed to decide that they were just banging their metal heads up against a very destructive wall and started hitting the two Jedi with high explosives. This caused enormous amounts of damage to the city as the two Jedi dodged and pushed some rounds back to their launchers destroying them, but the droids only brought more up.

"We can't keep this up forever, Master!" Leia shouted over the din of battle. Her ears were ringing from all of the explosions and weapons fire.

"We won't have to, Leia'wa. It will end soon enough," Aayla said in response.

"Yes, Master," Leia said as she knelt twirling her lightstaff in a wide circle taking out several droids with the move, some with the blades, others with their own fire. Then, unexpectedly the floor gave way, and Leia watched in horror as her Master fell into the now open pit.

"MASTER!" Leia shouted. In her head she heard Aayla's voice. _I'm alright, get back to the ship as quickly as you can, they'll need you there._

Leia just did as she was told, without responding.

* * *

**Coruscant, Jedi Temple, Skywalker Central**

Anakin waited patiently for his wife to get ready. He'd already taken his grandchildren to the crèche, and now he had little to do until she was ready. She came out of their bedroom, and he felt his breath catch. She looked stunning, just as he always thought she did when she was dressed formally. She didn't catch him looking at her, which was probably just as well. He'd had more than one reason for suggesting that she go to the Senate. "I called Bail, and told him that we were coming. He said that they are in recess right now, getting ready to take a vote on the Fair Banking Act."

"Well, then it sounds like we should get going," he said, thankful again that their quarters had been so close to the landing pads for so long.

"Yes, I suppose we'd better," she said.

She headed out the door, and though she'd chosen garments that minimized the look of her pregnancy, she still looked to him like she was carrying the most precious thing in the world to him, and no amount of clothing would hide that from him.

They had an uneventful trip to the Senate Rotunda, and when they got inside, one of the things he noticed was a clock that seemed to be counting down to some event. "Oh, good, we have a little time," Padmé said after looking at the clock.

"What is that for?"

"When we have something big, we can set the clock to allow the Senators to know how long until whatever big event that we have going on."

"So it's set now for the vote Bail was telling you about?"

"Yes, I imagine it is. I can't think what else it would be for. I'd better go talk to Sha'kan Dor'ak," she said, indicating one of the alien Senators. "Would you find Bail for me?"

"Whatever your heart desires, I shall grant you, if it is within my powers," he said, making a courtly bow over her hand. He did it to make her blush, and it worked. He smiled; he still affected her the same way that he had all those years ago.

His mind turned to the task that she had set him; find the Senator of Alderaan, who was acting Chancellor while she was not up to the task. The first place Anakin looked was her office, and that was where he found Bail. "Ah, good, you're here," Bail said to him, as Anakin slipped into the room.

"Padmé is talking to someone. I assume she would like for you to come and talk to her."

"I can do that," he turned to the smaller man who served in some capacity as one of the Chancellor's aides, "Can you see that this infernal list is ready in time?"

"Of course," the man's name slipped Anakin's mind for the moment, but he'd had so little contact with the man that it was somewhat understandable. He was also a politician of the worst sort, at least as far as Anakin was concerned, so he paid him very little mind anyway.

"So who did she stop to talk to?" Bail asked as he walked around Padmé's desk to head out into the hall.

Anakin shrugged. "Sha'kan Dor'ak," he said, repeating the name he'd heard only a few minutes earlier.

"Ah, she's probably hobnobbed her way halfway across the Senate by now with him to help her."

"As you say," Anakin answered affably.

"Still on that 'no politics for Anakin' thing?"

"Very much so. I have three people in my house that live, eat, and breathe it. I don't think I can stand more than what I already get."

Bail nodded sagely. "I can well understand that. I don't think Breha ever really understood politics; she listened just to humor me. The politics of court, that's another beast entirely, and it bored me to tears while she thrived on it."

"You miss her don't you?"

"Yes, there's not a day that goes by that I don't. It's been nearly twenty years now, but I still think of her daily," Bail sighed, taking a moment to compose his thoughts. "I think she started dying of a broken heart after the doctors told her that we would never be able to have children."

Having heard some of Leia's side of this story, he wondered what price his own happiness was having on the galaxy.

"She died happily, though. We were able to adopt a young girl, just as Breha had always wanted."

A smile spread across Anakin's face. "That's wonderful. Winter, isn't that her name?"

"Yes. A beautiful young lady now, and spirited, too."

Anakin smiled a little wider. Maybe the Force had brought the best out when things had changed. He had followed Padmé's Force-signature through the building, and now she was in front of them.

"Chancellor, it is good to see you here today," Bail said, smoothly inserting himself into the conversation she was having with two Senators.

He moved over by her and she slid her arm around his waist for a moment. He felt her lean into him briefly, but then she moved off quickly, continuing with her conversation. He understood, of course, that she was not able to give him more than a moment's attention while she had work to do. And no matter what it might look like to someone on the outside, it was work. He knew she was thinking about three or four steps ahead of where she was, but so were the others.

Padmé was better at it, though. There were a number of politicians that she could talk circles around without trying, and very few that she couldn't if she was so inclined. That was the real power that she held in the Senate. As Chancellor, she dictated what she wanted done, and had enough force of will to see it through.

Anakin, for his part, was content to let her do what she needed to do, and to be largely ignored by the politicians. Most of them were so deep in their own agendas that they didn't even realize who he was, and of those who did, half didn't care, and the other half feared his reputation, knowing nothing of him as a person.

He examined the random thoughts that the Senators broadcast through the Force. Most of them were adept enough at shielding that he would be required to concentrate on an individual to know what they were thinking, but that was not his purpose that day.

Most of the thoughts he caught were about him, and he was known for being less than gentle, though usually fair. Examining his own memories, he found little evidence of this, but reputations did not always reflect the individual. He'd learned that long ago.

Decisive, but not unwilling to admit that he'd made a mistake. That was more true than not. In fact, that was very true. He noticed less people around him, and glanced at the clock that he'd noticed coming in. There was less than ten minutes on it. He found Padmé again and they entered the Senate's main hall, Padmé letting Bail remain in control, and she took him to the gallery, where they could watch the vote without being in the spotlight.

* * *

**Coruscant, Jedi Temple complex, NFS classroom area**

Jaedrea made it into class just before the bell rang for her Math class. She took her seat, surprised to find that Julia was already in class. The teacher began roll call, and she got her things out, doing her best to pretend that it was just another day. She and Master Obi-Wan had had a long talk about what she should expect from Julia, and it made her sad to think about some of the things Obi-Wan thought she might be going through. He'd said that the best thing that she could do for Julia was to let her come to terms with everything in her own way. If that was what Obi-Wan thought, though it went against her very nature to leave Julia alone, it was something she could do, for a while at least. She trusted Obi-Wan to know what he was talking about.

She hadn't been in Flight class, so Jaedrea wasn't expecting to see her sister that day. It rather unnerved her, but she tried her best as the teacher finished roll, to put it out of her head and concentrate on her lessons.

* * *

**Bespin, Cloud City, near the landing area**

Han held his blaster down; they'd been trying to fight their way back to the _Falcon_ for hours. Even with the city's security systems and a Jedi Padawan on their side, it had been slow going. There was a break in the seemingly never-ending flow of droids, and Jasmine had been quite accurate in her deflection of the bolts the things were shooting at them. At least to the point of keeping the three of them uninjured. The bolts hadn't always gone where she wanted them to go, but finally they were within sight of the

* * *

**Coruscant, Jedi Temple, Kenobi Quarters**

Obi-Wan took one look at Jaedrea and knew she was about to fall apart. "What's wrong, Padawan?"

"I just want everything to be normal, Master," she said, tears running down her face as she threw herself into his open arms.

"What happened?"

"Julia was in class today, Math but not Flight. She must have gotten home today. She didn't even say hi to me, or even look at me," she said into his robes, so it was slightly muffled.

"I told you that it would be some time before she was ready to start trying to rebuild your relationship."

"It's going to be hard to go to class with her half the day and her not talk to me."

"I think it will be better to try to go about your normal day, rather than to try to avoid her."

She thought about it for a while. "I would have to give up my Flight class if I wanted to do that."

"Yes, you would. Do you think that you would be happy if you did that just so that you wouldn't have to see her during the day?"

"No," she said slowly. "But I don't know what to do with her either."

"I think the point right now is that you not do anything with her. Let her come to you."

"But Master, that's hard."

"I know, Padawan, but sometimes the things that we have to do as Jedi are very hard. I would say some of the things that your father has done are nearly impossible."

"I want to talk to you about that," she said, settling down onto the sofa, crossing her legs under her.

"I suspected you would," he said as he sat down next to her and faced her.

"Daddy's…Vader, right?"

"He was, young one. He never ceased being your father, though."

"How long ago did it happen?"

"It depends on your perspective. He became Vader a few days before Luke and Leia were born, in what he perceives to be the reality he came from. It's been about two months that he has been both. It's been rather difficult for him to adjust, I think. He's still sorting himself out."

"So, why did it happen?"

"What has your father told you?"

She considered the question for a moment. "That he lost everyone he loved. He said that he lost his brother, and his wife and his daughter. That was why Vader was so sad."

"And he had gained nothing in return."

"But why did he go to the dark side in the first place?"

"Well, if you cannot find a reason in what you have already talked about, you will have to ask. I haven't had that particular conversation with Anakin, though I know he has discussed it with Master Yoda and Master Windu."

"I think I need to do that. I don't think he's told me," she said, then asked, "So why was Mustafar a bad place for Daddy?"

"You saw how he was on Mustafar, and the reconstruction that you saw last night was just after that. He was burned terribly on Mustafar."

"But Master, when I'm dreaming, I feel like I know things sometimes," she said quietly, tucking her knees protectively to her chest, "and you were the one that hurt him."

"Well, I suppose, since I don't remember that particular series of events, that I was doing it because I thought I had no other choice. I didn't want to do it; that much I know from some things that Anakin has shared with me," still seeing confusion on Jaedrea's face, he continued, "Look at it this way, Jaedrea. Anakin is one of the most powerful beings in the galaxy. He has very little restraint on his power other than what he imposes upon himself. If he were to go rogue, there would be very few who could stop him. He could easily kill nearly every person in this Temple and not blink, insofar as the raw ability to do it."

Horror crossed her face, and she asked, "But you could stop him, right?"

"No," he said, shaking his head sadly, "I can defeat him in combat, but I don't think I could ever kill him, and that would be what would be required to actually stop Anakin."

"But he fixed everything; he made everything better after he did all the horrible things that he did in the other universe."

"Indeed. Your father has always been quite good at fixing things, except for possibly himself."

"That's what he has Mommy for," she said dismissively.

"Yes, Jaedrea, I believe that you are right."

"So when is everything going to be normal again?"

"Jaedrea, nothing is ever normal around here."

"But it's at least usually quieter."

"I agree. I think it will settle down soon, though maybe not soon enough for you to be satisfied."

* * *

**Bespin, Cloud City, Landing Pad near the _Falcon_**

Jasmine stood just in front of Han and Lando. She'd been really disappointed her herself during the running battle to the ship. She should be much better than this. Master Luke would've been able to hit every droid with its own blaster bolts without thinking about it. She was lucky that none of them had gotten hit yet. It didn't help matters that for every droid she did take out, four more took its place. At the rate things were going, they would be over run within the hour.

"Jasmine, can you hold them back?" Han asked.

"Have you been watching, man? She's incredible!" Lando said.

"Not for much longer, my arms feel like they're made of durasteel, I'm sorry."

"That's ok; can you hold them for about five more minutes? I've got an idea."

"I can."

"Good," Han said and bolted up the ramp. Jasmine kept blocking fire, then the a heavy repeating blaster dropped down from the Falcon in front of them and started cutting droids down. It fired for about two minutes, then it stopped, but so had the fire from the droids.

* * *

**Coruscant, CocoTown, Dex's Diner**

Cedric slid into the booth at Dex's, and Celia sat in the one across from them. "So, what's up?" she asked him.

"Let's order first, then we can talk," he said, dodging the question temporarily.

Showing an uncharacteristic amount of patience, she pulled her menu out to look at. The waitress came by. "What can I get you kids?"

"Nerfberger and fried Alderaanian squash," she said.

"The same," he said, after a brief debate with himself.

"Did you want anything to drink?"

"Shakes," he answered.

"What kind?"

"Shuura fruit," Celia answered.

"Chocolate," Cedric said at nearly the same time. They laughed as the waitress took off to put the order in, or whatever it was that she did.

"So, Cedric, you were the one that suggested this conversation, what did you want to talk about?"

"Well," he started, and then sighed. "There's so much I don't quite know where to begin."

"Did you want to talk about your dream?"

"No, well, not yet. I don't know."

"What about Berma Pleaix?"

He nodded. "I never told you much of anything about what happened there."

"No, you didn't. That was where it began, isn't it?"

He nodded again. "I guess you could say that I was attacked there."

"Attacked? Who would dare attack a Jedi?"

"A Sith, who else?"

"Maul?"

He shook his head. "Immolious. But she's not what I would have expected. I don't know, maybe it's the last year, looking back on it makes it seem less horrible."

"So, what happened?"

"She hit me with a dart; it had to have something powerful in it, because it knocked me out nearly instantly."

"What was in the dart?"

"We never found out. By the time we thought to check it had completely dissipated from my system."

"If she planned ahead, it would have probably been midi-chlorian blockers. It's about the only thing that has ever worked on Dad, and no one else in the family has ever had much of anything done that's required being knocked out."

"And Dad's been through, what, like ten for his arm?"

"Yes, since he was so young when it happened. I've looked at some of his records," she sighed. "What happened after you woke up?"

He paused to collect his thoughts as the waitress brought their food. "She tried to do something to me, something bad."

"Why didn't she do what she was trying to do?"

"Master Ti stopped her."

"What was it she was trying to do?"

Cedric paused, collecting his thoughts for a moment. Then he said, "She wanted me to want her, mind, body and spirit," though as soon as the words left his mouth, he knew they were inadequate to describe the horror she had had planned for him before their minds merged. He had neither the words nor the desire to share with his sister the terrible death she had planned for him after she got what she wanted. He knew she was an expert at killing that way, he also knew how painful a way it was to die.

Celia was stunned, "What do you mean, mind body and spirit?" The way she asked the question convinced Cedric she knew exactly what he was talking about, but was just too embarrassed to admit it.

"She wanted me…love isn't the right word…she wanted me…" he paused again, thinking for a good way to describe what she wanted of him at that moment, then it came to him. "She wanted me addicted to her. Needing her touch so badly that I would give up any ideal, any principle to have it. She planned on using that addiction to get her what she wanted above all else," tears fell unnoticed from his eyes, since he'd never really allowed himself to think about what happened that day, now it was almost like reliving it.

"What did she want?" Celia asked, fear of the answer evident in her voice. Cedric didn't answer right away, several moments passed and Celia repeated the question, "What did she want, Cedric?"

"She wanted me to be the father of her child," he said simply. The implications of what he'd said stunned his sister into silence for a few moments. He picked up his sandwich, and took a bite, more to hide is discomfort than because he was actually hungry. He hadn't actually been that hungry to begin with and the topic made him lose what little appetite that he'd had.

"But something else happened instead, and I don't know if it's worse or better," he said, picking up the thread of the conversation once again.

She let him have time to think. It wasn't really like her to wait. She wanted everything immediately. She had never been able to sit still long enough to put two breaths together. It was one of the challenges that she was going have as a Healer.

"We got inside each other's heads."

"What do you mean?"

"I suppose that you might say that it would have been the mental equivalent of rape, if she hadn't been just as opened up by the experience as I was. I know a great deal about her, as much as she knows about herself."

"And she knows the same about you?"

"I believe so. It's hard to say."

"How do you think this happened?"

"She was pushing against my mental shields, but they were failing. She is stronger than I am, right now, anyway. I let them down, in an attempt to let Master Ti know what was going on. I think that's when it happened."

"So, she was pushing, then suddenly had nothing to push against?"

"Something like that. I wonder if that brought her shields down temporarily."

"That sounds like a working theory for what happened," she responded. "So, you like have some of her memories?"

He nodded. "It gave me nightmares for a while. It's still giving me nightmares."

"So why is she like she is?"

"She was raised from infancy in the way of the Sith."

"How did he get a baby to raise?"

"I don't know. She didn't know then, and I doubt she knows now, unless it was something that Maul could tell her to cause her pain."

"So what is being a Sith like?"

"I don't know. It's painful, and dark and terrible. But what happened to her changed her."

"How do you know?"

"She came to talk to me."

"When?"

"A couple of months ago. Before Luke went to Bothawui. Before they went to Ilum, for that matter."

"So why didn't you say anything to anyone?"

"I didn't have to. Luke knew, somehow. He talked me through some of it."

"Why haven't you ever come and talked to me about this?"

"I don't know. I figured you'd either get all clinical on me, or self-righteous."

"What reason would I have for getting self-righteous?"

He sighed. "I'm going to save her."

"Is that even possible?"

"Yes. I've talked with Luke and Dad about it and it's possible. It's hard, but possible."

"So how do you save a Sith?"

"Teach them to love."

"I think you've lost your mind."

"I don't know. She feels so conflicted and incomplete inside. I think she just needs to be shown the way."

She sat back, mulling over what he'd told her as she finished her shake. "So, are you going to finish those?" she asked, indicating the fried squash that he had barely touched.

"No," he said, sitting back in the booth with his own shake.

She reached across the table, dragging his plate closer to her, so that she could reach them without moving so much. "I think Master Allie is getting worried about me."

"We should head back pretty soon. There's not much for me to do, but I guess I can get a little ahead on my homework. The time that I have to work on it isn't always enough," he said, but made no move to get up.

"I've missed talking to you, Cedric. I don't want this to happen ever again. Please don't shut me out of your life again."

"I'm sorry, Celia," he said, looking down, "I just haven't known how to deal with this, and it doesn't always make a whole lot of sense, to me at least. I guess that I've started to believe that there are no accidents. Everything happens for a reason."

"So, what? You think that you're supposed to save her?"

He looked at her, and knew that there was a fire burning behind his eyes. "I know that I am the only person out there who can. There's no one else that she would trust."

Celia thought about it for a while. "So what were you dreaming about?"

He looked down. He hadn't told her that there was a component to being inside one another's minds that even made him flinch from the disaster that it could turn into. "I'm not sure you want to hear it."

"I need to know what's going on with you."

He nodded. "I suppose that's true enough. I just don't know how close to the truth this dream comes," he paused, playing with the end of his braid. He didn't fidget often, but he was worried about how Celia would react to what he was about to tell her. "It was about a child."

"A child?"

"My child, her child."

Celia's eyes went wide. "Cedric, you can't be serious."

"I don't see it as impossible, Celia," he shrank up, becoming as small as he could before he said to her the thing that he thought would have her upset the most. "I love her."

He looked up at his sister then, watching a variety of emotions crossing her face, but the thing that he'd dreaded when this conversation had become nearly impossible to avoid, that she would either not understand, or would get angry, and become unreasonable, didn't happen.

"Cedric, that can't be easy for you, or particularly good for you either."

"I know. I don't expect it to be easy."

It was then that Stass Allie came in, apparently intent on finding them. "Celia, why didn't you tell me where you were going?"

"I didn't think about it. I didn't think we'd be gone this long."

"Well, come on, you two. I'm sure that there are better things you could be doing than sitting around here, don't you think, Cedric?"

Cedric frowned at the interruption. "No. But I can work on other things."

With the mood broken, the twins headed off to the Temple, then on to their separate tasks.

* * *

**Bespin, Cloud City, upper levels, near the new military outpost**

Sev'rance watched from the balcony ledge she was perched on as the droids separated the Twi'lek Master from one of Cedric's sisters. She looked very little like him, but at the least Sev'rance had learned to identify on sight all the members of his immediate family. Their images were of public record. Some of the others—he had aunts and uncles, cousins, and the spouses of the sensationalized older set of Skywalker twins—weren't in the public access database. She had eventually found information on Mara Jade, the wife of Cedric's only brother, but there was no information on this one's spouse. She wasn't supposed to be married, according to the rules that the Jedi had set forth, but she'd gotten pregnant. It was something of a scandal, and had been covered up, at least as much as the Temple could. They were subject to several Information Freedom actions by the Senate. Useful thing, that. The Temple complied with them to the extent that they were required to, but family members of Jedi was not something that was covered, nor did it seem likely that it would be anytime in the foreseeable future.

The girl, from what she'd been able to discover, was older than she by close to a year, and she was displaying considerable talent using her lightstaff. Sev'rance had been notified when some of her higher level droids had identified Jedi in the city. She hadn't been able to load image recognition programs into the lower level units, so they hadn't been shot upon landing. _Fortunately._ Cedric would surely have blamed her for the deaths of several of his family members, and that would have made trying to have any sort of civilized relationship with him nearly impossible.

She considered what to do about the situation. The droids were really no match for the Jedi. From what she'd seen from fighting in various sectors, there were at least four Jedi, and none of them had even been so much as singed, and the casualty rate of the droids was nearing a full battalion. She'd only brought two to the city. Then the girl caught sight of her, perched on the balcony, and Force-jumped to face what she seemed to perceive as the larger threat.

Sev'rance jumped down to the floor below her, rather than having to confront the sister of her lover. The girl gave chase. Not that Sev'rance expected her to give up, but she had hoped that it would be possible for her to slip away. The droids allowed her to pass without shooting at her, but neither were they shooting at Leia, presenting a problem for her escape. If she stopped long enough to tell them to shoot at her, then Leia would catch up to her, which could prove problematic. Though, the droids shooting at Leia might prove to be a problem as well, as the girl was surely trained in the method of redirecting fire so that it hit just about anything that one could wish. Tann would be included in that, she was sure. She used the Force to try to block the girl's path, closing doors, moving droids into her path, but Cedric's sister doggedly stayed right on her heels. She slipped through a door, and it nearly caught her clothing as she got through. She rounded the next corner, and somehow the girl had gotten around her, and was now in front of her.

She cursed to herself silently, but drew her lightsaber, preparing to defend herself. She had battled Maul enough times that her wielding a lightstaff wouldn't pose nearly as much of a problem as it would another. "Darth Immolious," she said.

"Skywalker," she said. There was not enough distance between the two of them right then, to her mind.

"So you know who I am then?" she asked, preparing to fight, lighting both ends of her lightsatff.

"You are the oldest daughter of Anakin Skywalker. I doubt you know much more about me than I know about you," she answered, shifting slowly around the small space, feeling like a caged cat.

"You are a Sith. I think that's all I need to know," she said, and Tann knew that attitude well.

She shook her head. She had never particularly identified herself with her Sith name. Maul had never told her what his name had been before he'd taken on his, shortly before his Master had died at the hands of the Jedi. A stray thought came back to her, from one of the few conversations she'd had with Cedric. _If things were different, and you weren't a Sith, _he had said to her. His sister didn't seem to know more about her than that one fact, and it gave the part of herself that she knew completely belonged to Cedric a spark of an idea. "I am more than that," she said, and the words were out before she realized it.

"Just as I am more than Anakin's daughter. But I didn't come here to chat."

"I didn't come here to fight," and the truth of that statement made the part of her that belonged to Cedric sad, since it appeared that she would not be able to avoid it, if his own sister couldn't get past the fact that she had been raised as a Sith, the odds of her being allowed to be with Cedric were almost nil. The part of her that knew what love was nearly wept, but she couldn't lose herself that way. If she allowed the part of herself that only knew how to be a Sith total control at this point, Cedric's sister would surely be in danger, at the very least, probably mortal danger. He wouldn't forgive her for killing the girl, of that she was fairly certain. Maybe she could talk to her, make her understand that she wasn't totally the evil person that she'd been barely more than a year ago.

She refocused her attention on the girl; her statement seemed to have confused Cedric's sister a bit. "But you're a Sith. Don't you have an obligation to try to destroy Jedi when you find them?"

"I have only one obligation right now, and it has nothing to do with the Sith," Tann said, revealing her most prized secret. She didn't care about the Sith right then. If she'd been forced to choose the tiny life inside her over the Sith, and keep to that for the rest of her life, she would do it. The vulnerability she was showing in front of what amounted to a total stranger puzzled her, but strangely it didn't frighten her, as so much had since she'd become pregnant.

Now truly puzzled, Leia continued to question her, "What obligation could you possibly have that you hold higher than being a Sith?"

"I'm carrying your brother's child," Tann said, the small part of her winced at the way it sounded, "All I want right now is peace so that he can be born," she said, trying to soften the impact of her first statement. It had sounded more like a taunt than an attempt at a conversation, and then Cedric's sister reacted in a completely unexpected way.

She watched first shock, then horror, then disbelief, and finally anger cross the Skywalker girl's face. "You lie…he would NEVER…unless….YOU BITCH!" Cedric's sister said, and launched a vicious, angry attack on her. "I'll gladly leave you in pieces, the way that you left Lando and Force only knows how many others."

The small part that was Cedric's knew that this wasn't going as planned, she needed to try to smooth this over if she was ever going to convince the Sith to give the Jedi a chance.

"It wasn't like that! He wanted it, encouraged it. One of my better lovers too, surprising of one so, inexperienced," Tann said, again the small part of her winced, she didn't have enough control for her words not to sound like taunts.

"I have had enough of your LIES!" Cedric's sister shouted and beat back Tann, the small part of her had trouble keeping the Sith from matching her lethal intent. No matter what, this battle had to end with both of them alive and unhurt, but then it happened, Tann stumbled and fell off the edge of a walkway. She used the Force to cushion the landing, but not quickly enough to prevent having the wind knocked out of her, and her lightsaber shut off, clattering to a halt a few feet away, having been knocked from her hand in the fall. Before she could recover, Cedric's sister had her lightstaff at Tann's throat, and murder danced in the young Jedi's eyes. Tann knew the look well, having seen it before, though she had never truly been on the receiving end of it. The small part of her silently apologized to Cedric, and turned over control to the Sith, not that there was much the Sith could do at this point.


	31. Escape from Cloud City

**AN: So here is another chapter, nearly the last. I estimate between 1 and 4 additional chapters, but most likely one or possibly two, more likely one and an Epilogue.**

**I would like to welcome bolt32 to our happy band as this story winds down, and thanks everyone for reviewing. I really don't quite know how the war that is coming, or rather, here, is going to go. I well need to do some thinking on it, because the dynamics are quite different now from what the original plan was...So we shall see. It will likely be quite some time before I conclude with the third chapter in this series, but I'll be working on several side projects. I might get some more Interim stories up, and as I decide when the next book will be placed(at least the majority of it), I may post a couple of stories for that period as well. I will also work on _The Slightest Bit of Happiness,_ which I have been neglecting terribly, due to writer's block. I'm working on also a (hopefully) shorter piece called _The Necklace_, so that may start going up in the next few weeks. **

* * *

Chapter 30

**Bespin, Cloud City, landing bay**

Han came out of the_Falcon_ just in time to hear something that shocked him, and he wasn't an easy man to shock. A word came out of Jasmine's mouth that no nine-year-old girl should know. A word no girl should know, for that matter. Huttese curse words weren't proper language for any young lady.

She started running as soon as the word was out of her mouth, "Hey, wait up. You aren't supposed to be going anywhere," Han started, but she was out of earshot before he got the sentence finished. He sighed; it was just another day ferrying Jedi around. Nothing ever happened that would be considered ordinary.

He double-checked his landing gear, knowing that he likely wouldn't have another chance before they took off, if they needed to get off in a hurry, which they probably would.

"Where's Jasmine?"

Han turned around to see Luke standing directly behind him. "The way she took off, I would have thought she was headed your way. She didn't say where she was going."

"Which way did she go?"

Han pointed in the direction that she took off in, "Over that way."

Luke was silent for a moment. "Leia," he said, and the way he said her name sounded anguished.

"What's wrong?" Han asked, concerned suddenly for his wife.

"I'm not sure. I need to go find them. Stay here, Ash, I'll be back soon."

"Certainly. I expect that staying with the ship will be much less dangerous than going with you."

Luke laughed at what was an apparent joke between the two of them as he took of after his sisters.

* * *

**Coruscant, Senate Rotunda, Main Chamber**

Padmé watched the vote carefully. It wasn't going well. She listened as another name of someone who should be in severe support was called off, the Senator of Ruusan, who was one of the few Ruusanians who had made it off planet in the last few years, since Ruusan had become part of the wider galaxy once again. His planet had been virtually raped by the IGBC. "Arbarak Selcanth?" Chis called out.

"I must regretfully vote against this proposal."

"Why?" she asked herself, but out loud, and Anakin heard her.

"Because his family is being held hostage by the IGBC. He has a little girl who's three or four, and he's scared out of his mind that they are going to hurt her," he said as the vote continued below them.

A gasp at the audacity of the Banking Clan's plan escaped her. "Is he the only one?"

"No," he whispered in her ear as he wrapped his arms around her, then put his chin on top of her head.

"How do you know?"

She felt him shrug. "They are thinking rather loudly about it. I don't invade people's privacy without reason."

"I know, Ani. But…"

"You would never dream of resorting to such tactics, and are an honest politician, and for some reason the dirtiest layer of politics has never been something that you've wanted or needed to look at. But that doesn't mean that it isn't there," he said, releasing her so that he could look into her eyes.

"Ani, I thought you didn't like politics."

"I don't. That doesn't mean I don't understand it."

"You've never liked politics."

"No, I haven't. That doesn't mean I haven't had to deal with it, understand it, and make it work for me."

She looked at him, puzzled as to where he could have learned the eccentricities of the seedier side of politics, but he refused to meet her gaze, and looked back over the Senate. He pointed out the Senate group from Nal Hutta, a bunch of expatriated humans. "That group."

"Nal Hutta," she informed him.

He nodded. "They would vote for this measure, except that the Banking Clan has threatened their lives directly."

"That surprises me."

"It shouldn't. The Banking Clan has even squeezed out the Hutts in some areas. As representatives of such a place, they are actually elected by some part of the Hutt organization, but even they don't quite know which."

Her jaw dropped. "They make every pretense that they have nothing to do with the Hutts."

"They don't, not really, but they do serve at the whim of the Hutt cartels at large, and they know it. They at least must attempt not to anger them."

"This is why the Jedi don't get involved in politics."

"Yes, love, this is why. We don't stand for pretense. It really doesn't make for good politics."

"What about the senator from Tatooine?"

"Leper? He was a moisture farmer, but smart enough to get here. As a Senator, he draws just enough of a salary here to maintain his residence on Coruscant. His kids take care of the farm. No one owns him, but he's been threatened by the Banking Clan. They don't know he has family back home; he doesn't talk about them, or he might be in a mess of trouble. But then again, even the Banking Clan doesn't want to mess with the Desilijic Clan."

"The Desilijic Clan?"

"Jabba the Hutt, from what I've found, is part of, if not the head of the Desilijic Clan. It's larger than a single family, though I think he's head of his family as well. I don't have very much time to research the Hutts, but I'd eventually like to get them off Tatooine, and free my home."

"So what's so special about his clan?"

"They are powerful, even more powerful than most of the Hutts."

"What would it take to free Tatooine?"

"I think a direct appeal from someone who knows the situation there. I haven't seen any slaves there since I've been returning, and Mom was freed before I became of age, so I don't know any slaves, and I'm not related to any. All my friends from when I was little are either gone or free as well. I think that Jabba has ordered that so that there is no reason for the Jedi to come in and clear him out wholesale. He may have even banned the use of slaves on the planet, excepting his own. I don't know."

"Is there anyone else who should be voting for this who isn't?"

"Several. Maybe ten in total who are being directly threatened or who's family is threatened."

"So few?"

"It's enough, I think. I don't know for sure, but this body feels very evenly split."

"You amaze me sometimes."

"You amaze me. I couldn't do this on a regular basis and not be driven completely insane by the constant nattering of people who only want what they think they want, not what they need or what is good for them. Unfortunately for you, unless someone comes to you and says that they are being threatened by the Banking Clan, you will have no recourse."

"Jedi testimony is perfectly admissible in trials of state."

"But there must be supporting or corroborating evidence. You know that."

"What do you mean?"

"The testimony of a Jedi is strong evidence of something, but even that must be backed by something more substantial."

"Meaning that someone would have to come forward and say that the Banking Clan had threatened them."

"Exactly. If I were the only one presenting evidence, the Banking Clan would call foul, and I would be vilified before the Senate. Politicians don't like Jedi messing in their sandbox."

"So someone else has to bring the issue up. And that's why Jedi don't make good politicians."

"Jedi make excellent politicians. We are taught to remain stoic in the face of various confrontations, and to say no more than necessary. But the duplicity of such a fate is typically not something that a Jedi would willingly get involved in."

"Except for your children."

"My children are also your children. You were the one that subjected them to the fate of being interested in this," he said, waving his hand in front of himself.

"And apparently it really only took with two of them."

"That remains to be seen. I don't see Julia being interested, but Jasmine or Jaedrea just might surprise you. And we have two more that we know nothing of."

She laid a hand on her stomach, where the two of whom he was speaking resided. "I don't really hold much hope for the girls. Jasmine has to work very hard to grasp even some of the basic concepts of government; and Jaedrea, well, I think she falls asleep faster than you do when I start talking about politics."

The vote was nearly over, and Anakin didn't respond, since her attention had drifted back to the floor. Chis called the name of the last Senator, and received back the answer, "I vote for this measure."

He then called the several Senators who had abstained from the order, two of whom voted against it, and four who voted for the bill. The hall was dead silent as he calculated the votes. "There are two thousand eight hundred and eighty-three votes for the measure, and two thousand eight hundred eighty-four votes against the measure, with two abstentions. The motion fails," and after a moment of absolute stunned silence the Senate erupted into raucous discussion, and even Padmé, far above the main body of the senate, couldn't hear what Anakin was trying to say to her.

He placed his lips next to her ear after trying several tries. "Did you want to go down to your office and talk to Bail?"

She shook her head. "There are going to be motions on the floor in a moment, as soon as it dies down enough that someone can be heard."

True to her word, the moment the noise level died down to a low roar, the Senator from Tatooine motioned to be heard. "Since this body seems incapable of protecting the people of the Outer Rim over their own interests, we of the Outer Rim have no choice but to strike out on our own. The Banking Clan has been waging economic war on us for decades, well, if they want to own our worlds they'll have to do it the old fashioned way, take them by force!"

The Banking Clan's pod came forward and the Senator was speaking even before it arrived in the center.

"Is that a declaration of war?!" he sounded outraged.

"Only if you want it to be," Leper said, trying to sound reasonable.

"This is outrageous! I demand the protection of the Senate on this. The Republic must protect its members!"

"Which we have failed to do in the case of the Outer Rim!" Bail spoke, obviously sick of the posturing.

"So the Republic's leadership refuses! Very well, it was wise of us to build our forces then, in spite of the Republic's illegal restrictions! If the Outer Rim wants war, war it will be!"

The Banking Clan's pod returned to its place, and the delegation walked out, followed by the Outer Rim senators. In all about half the Senate walked out. Stunned silence flooded the room, as the gravity of the situation was made clear to the Senators that remained. In this moment of trouble, it was unlikely that the Senate would remain an effective body. It was in that moment that Padmé realized that the Senate died.

* * *

**Bespin, Cloud City, upper levels**

Jasmine ran as fast as she could, the sense of urgency pushing her past her exhaustion. She had to hurry, or she would fail and everything would be ruined. She rounded a corner just in time to see her sister about to decapitate Tann. She was already too late; all she could do now is mitigate the damage.

"NO! Don't do it Leia! She's carrying Cedric's baby!" Jasmine screamed.

Leia froze and hesitated, giving Tann an opportunity to get her weapon back.

Just as Tann retrieved her weapon, the city shuddered. It was small at first, but grew more violent, then the sounds of distant explosions reached Jasmine's ears. When she saw the brilliant flash of turbolaser fire, she realized that someone was bombarding the planet.

"Damn you, Grievous! I'll rip you free of your metal shell for this!" Tann screamed, looking up for a second, then the fight between the two resuming as Tann attacked, but the fight was halted by another series of tremors caused by the bombardment. Smoke started billowing from overhead, and Jasmine could feel people dying. It made her knees weak and she wept, each death a small needle of pain driven into her soul.

"Shield, Jasmine," Leia said.

"She can't, Leia," Luke said, arriving on the scene.

"Gee, the littlest Skywalker can't handle a little death?" Tann said.

"What would Cedric think, Immolious? What would he think of the death you are causing, then to add to it, making fun of his sister for simply caring?" he asked invading her personal space, and she let him, even to the point of powering her lightsaber down.

Tann froze at Luke's words, and Jasmine thought she saw tears form in her eyes, but it was hard to be certain through the ones that were coming to her own eyes.

"Yes, Sev'rence, think about it. You love him, and you care about what he thinks of you. You don't want him thinking badly of you, do you?"

Tann just stood there; she looked conflicted.

"She's pregnant with Cedric's baby, Master," Jasmine said. This news seemed to surprise her Master, who closed his eyes for a moment, and then they popped open in shock.

"You did it, you raped him. You finally did it." Luke said, his voice sounding very disappointed, Jasmine couldn't tell in whom he was disappointed.

"He WANTED it! He was EAGER for it. He LOVES me!"

"He's THIRTEEN! How could you? He isn't ready for this," Luke said.

"He seemed ready enough to create a life in me," Tann responding. Jasmine could feel her confusion at Luke's statements, and Tann was about to speak when they were all overcome with the fear and pain of hundreds as a distant tower fell, killing all inside. Jasmine went to her knees with the weight of the emotions. The bombardment was picking up pace. This Grievous seemed intent on destroying the city.

"That isn't what I'm talking about and you have to know it! You'd better come with us," Luke said, taking her arm, firmly but gently.

"I will not be a prisoner!" Tann said, pulling her arm up out of his grasp and taking a step back.

"Then you will die!" Leia said, charging the Sith.

Together both Luke and Jasmine screamed, "NO! Don't!"

Tann jumped over Leia's reckless attack and onto a fallen girder.

"Be sure to thank your brother when you see him again, Leia Skywalker, for he is the only reason I let you live," Tann said, and was gone.

* * *

**Coruscant, Senate Rotunda, Chancellor's Chambers**

Bail was far from calm, though he tried to present that exterior; he probably shouldn't have bothered, the only people in the office were Chis, Padmé, and Anakin, all of whom could read him like he was an open book, but he was doing it more for himself than any of them. Anakin was pacing, he did that a lot when he was worried. "So what does this mean?" he asked. Unfortunately the simple question had few if any simple answers.

"It means that the Senate will no longer be an effective body," Padmé said to him.

He looked at her and said, "It means war, doesn't it?"

"I think war is inevitable at this point." Bail said.

Anakin sighed. "Unfortunately I have to agree with you; in fact the battles have already begun."

"Ani?" Padmé asked.

"Bespin, there is a battle on Bespin right now," he told her quietly. "It's been going on most of the day."

"Why didn't you tell me earlier?" she asked him.

"We were already on our way here. I didn't want to upset you before you even got here. I didn't think you needed the extra stress."

His answer seemed to satisfy her, and he turned back to Bail. "What can the Jedi do, or the Senate to try to minimize the conflict?"

"I don't know if there is anything that can do so. The Banking Clan has obviously been disregarding the laws of the Republic for years; I think we could talk reason to the Outer Rim if we could guarantee something like this won't happen again, but I don't see how we can do that with the current system. Fortunately the members of the committee working on the new Constitution are all still here, even the Outer Rim Senators. Those are the only ones who stayed, but I think it's just because they see how much this might mean."

"You need Cedric to continue with that?" Anakin asked.

"Not today. I think everyone's had enough today, except maybe him."

Anakin nodded, and he looked very tired and unhappy as he got up to wander about the office.

"What's wrong, Anakin?" Bail felt compelled to ask.

"I don't want to go through another war," he said as he looked out onto the Coruscanti skyline that was projected through the 'window' even though this was an interior office. There were several cameras around the building that picked up different views; the interior offices could be set up to project any number of them, or switch at pre-set intervals.

"What do you mean?" he asked Anakin, "The Galaxy hasn't been at war in thousands of years."

"Never mind," Anakin said. "Forget I said anything."

"Oh, I think I want to hear this."

"I don't think I want to talk about it."

"Why not?"

"It includes many details that I'd really rather not think about."

"Just a general overview then?"

Anakin sighed, relenting finally. "I was nineteen when the Clone Wars started."

"The Clone Wars?"

"Nasty battles, those. I led not less than a hundred missions to various planets, fighting the CIS, which we later learned was under the control of a Sith. Force be thanked he's dead now."

"Dead?"

"Do you recall a small incident called the Massacre in the Senate?"

Shocked, Bail said, "Yes. I remember. I was twenty-three, and not yet a Senator, but I remember the stories. A good friend and relative of mine, Bail Antilles, was nearly killed in that, and he came home with horror stories, and had nightmares until he died."

"I can well imagine. It was nightmarish. The only good thing that came of that day was the death of the Sith Lord Darth Sidious."

"I never really heard why there was a battle that day."

"It is of little consequence in the grand scheme of things. The war that would have been the Clone Wars if he had lived is still coming; or rather, is here. I just hope we've done enough."

"What do you mean, enough?"

"The Jedi have been preparing for this war for thirty-six years. The signs were all there, and everything that could be done to avert it was done. But occasionally some things are inevitable. You know that the Sith, Darth Maul in particular, have been fanning the flames of this since he was revealed. We have done everything in our power to kill him, but thus far we've been unsuccessful."

"So, tell me, how do you know that this is what would have happened if he hadn't been killed?"

Anakin refused to face the room, but he relented to Bail's request and told him the story, "I lived it. The Dark Times; The Empire. Had no one known that Palpatine was a Sith Lord, he would have taken control of the Senate that day instead of dying. He would have orchestrated a war to garner more and more power for himself. When he had enough power, he would have just taken over. The war, now a mere inconvenience, could have been ended at any point because he was in charge of both sides. He was a sick sadistic man that needed to be destroyed."

"Did you know about this, Padmé?" Bail asked into the silence.

"I knew some of it when I was here on Coruscant during the Massacre," she said carefully. "I know enough to know that I wouldn't have wanted to live in that universe."

"I don't know anyone who was happy about the situation except for Palpatine." Anakin said. "And a monster like that doesn't deserve to be happy."

"I've never known you to get so emotionally involved with any issue, including the Sith, Anakin," Bail said.

"He's hurt four of my children, Bail, either directly or indirectly. There are few things that I cannot forgive. That is one."

Bail nodded, though Anakin couldn't see him. "So what is going to happen now?"

"That's a question you should ask Mace. In this, I am only a Field General. He can tell you how war works."

"Ani, you aren't going into battle," Padmé started, but stopped when he looked at her.

"I don't want to go, Padmé, but I am the most qualified person to be doing so. Luke and Leia will be in the thick of things, too. The Council won't be in the field as much as everyone else, but everyone will be going. Which reminds me, I need to go talk to Obi-Wan. We need to go to Kamino."

"Kamino? Where is Kamino?"

"Oh, a good twenty parsecs or so past Tatooine."

"That will take you a week to get out there and another to get back," she said, horrified.

"Nah, it only takes three and a half days to get there, but that is a good point, I'd better get going. We'll need to leave soon."

"And what is on Kamino that you need so urgently?"

"Clones. If we're going to have a war, we need soldiers."

"And how long have the Jedi known about this?"

"Oh, not the Jedi. The Jedi Council has sort of known about it for thirty-six years."

"Sort of?"

"Well, in that unofficial way that I know a lot of things."

"I don't even know about this, Anakin. Who ordered this?"

"A Jedi Master named Sifo-Dyas, who died shortly after the ordering of the Clones. He was killed by Darth Maul. I would say that was probably about the first thing that he did after he tried to shoot down your ship before the Massacre at the Senate."

"And how do you know what happened on the Council while you were still recovering from the battle on Tatooine?"

"Because it was important," he said, shrugging. "It wasn't something I paid attention to at the time."

"Are you coming home, or will you stay here and play politician some more?" he asked her.

"I don't think there's much more that can be said, at this point. Are you ready to go home?"

"I need to talk to Obi-Wan," he said, and Bail realized that his anxiety was more than the coming war; it was at least in part the battle he'd mentioned on Bespin.

"Go; I'll be over later. Hopefully this isn't a complete disaster."

"Thank you, Bail. I know that you'll do everything in your power to hold everything together."

"Thank you, Padmé. I will do my best, but I doubt it will help anything."

With that, the Skywalkers left, and he went into the hall where he was inundated with people wanting to know what he planned to do about the Senate.

* * *

**Bespin, Cloud City, upper levels**

Luke let Tann go, knowing from his connection with Jasmine that force was not the way to go with this particular confrontation. She wouldn't have been able to tell him that, but she could show him through their bond, and she had. He closed his eyes, centering himself before he confronted his twin. He could feel her anger like a fire that threatened to burn him just as badly as it was burning her. He turned to her, calmed sufficiently so that he was not yelling, but that was all. "What in the Nine Corellian Hells was that?"

"She's a Sith. Why aren't you going after her?"

"I can deal with her later. Just because she is a Sith doesn't mean that you need to start acting like one to fight her," his voice was cold. He knew that he was having an effect on Leia; he hoped it was the right one.

"I wasn't," she defended.

"You gave into your anger when you were fighting her. Keep it up and you'll be there. You've seen exactly what going to the dark side does to a person. You know what it cost Dad. What do you think it will cost you? The only reason we grew up in peace, _grew up at all,_ was because we were completely ignorant of our origins, and Dad thought we were dead," the city shuttered again, "And this is neither the time nor place for this discussion; we need to get out of here."

He picked Jasmine up; her slight form shook against his chest as he carried her out of harm's way. Leia trailed behind him, lost in her thoughts. She had done well enough that day, truth be told, except for the moment when she let her anger rule her. A couple of long talks with their father should fix her up; at least he hoped that would be all it would take.

* * *

**Coruscant, Jedi Temple, Saesee Tiin's Quarters**

Julia had been feeling rather icky most of the day by the time she got to her Master's quarters. "Good evening, Julia," he said without looking up from the object he was working on.

"What's that?" she asked, coming around to look at it.

"It's the altimeter from my ship. It isn't working quite right, but I think all it really needed was a good cleaning."

"Oh," she said, then remembered that she wasn't feeling good. "I haven't felt good since lunch."

"Mmm. The battle on Bespin isn't going well."

"What battle?" she asked, suddenly scared for Jasmine.

"The one that's going on right now."

"What do you mean it's not going well?"

"I'm not sure, Julia. The Force has yet to inform me of more than the fact that there is a battle, and there are many who are joining the Force because of it."

The feeling of nausea both intensified and became more distant; she realized she'd been echoing off of Jasmine. She gently pushed at the connection with Jasmine until she could concentrate while still feeling it. When she was done, Master Tiin asked her, "Did you want to work on your lightsaber?"

"I guess."

"You don't sound very enthusiastic. Is the fact that your sister is on Bespin bothering you?"

She nodded.

"Well, if you like we can wait, but sitting around worrying about it isn't going to help her."

She thought about what he said for a while, then said, "You're right, Master, but it's hard not to worry."

"I understand, but we can try to get started. Always remember, Padawan, while it is important to have your emotions, never let yourself be paralyzed by them. First we need that crystal of yours."

* * *

**Bespin, Cloud City, landing platform**

Leia held tightly to the lowering mechanism for the ramp on the _Falcon,_waiting for her Master to get to the ship. She saw Aayla's headtails as the Twi'lek master whipped around the corner not too far off. She felt the city vibrate as it took more fire; what from she didn't know, this Grievous that Tann had mentioned. She watched as the section of ceiling directly above Aayla came off in a huge chunk. There was no chance that she would have been able to save herself had she been the one the ceiling was falling on and her master was not much better off. She felt the shock of the piece falling as though she were the one it was falling on. Aalya had managed to slide it over most of the way, but it had pinned her. She cried out, wanting to go to her Master, to save her. _She was so close!_ but before she could get more than two steps off the ship, the next section up fell. Horror filled her, and she knew that she was in a dangerous place. She felt Luke's arms around her, carrying her back into the ship. He was saying something to her, but she didn't hear him. She just clung tightly to him as the darkness she had let herself feel just moments before threatened to engulf her, but for real this time, forever.

_Let me help you, Leia, _she heard Luke's mental voice, and clung to it. He was stronger than she was, stronger than she would ever be._No, just in different ways. You've had to deal with stuff that took me a lot longer to deal with than you've been given. _

The tears started then, and he held her tightly while they took off, leaving Aayla's body behind. If it was possible, they would save the city, and her body would be returned to the Temple, but somewhere deep inside she knew that it wouldn't happen.

* * *

**Coruscant, Imperial Medical Facility, Psychiatric Ward**

Anakin woke in a cold sweat. He was cut off from the Force. It made him feel tired, weak, and cold. He took a couple of deep breaths, shaky from the strain of having been cut adrift as he was. He realized then that he was in his suit. _Oh, great,_ he thought, _another dream._ He had encountered Ysalimari before, and he'd even used them against Jedi that he had as prisoners. It took one to neutralize the Force potential within a typical Jedi. He was so strong within the Force that it took more, at least seven, for them to extend their neutralization field around him. Either that or he practically had to be hugging one of them. There was probably one, possibly more in each corner of the room. Well, just outside the room, since he didn't see any in the actual room. He examined the contents of the room, which consisted of a bed, and the accoutrements that one would usually find with a bed. There was a bathroom, a proper bathroom, though there was little there that wasn't nailed down. Not even soap. There was certainly nothing that could be used as a weapon, which was probably reasonable, but of little value to whoever was keeping him here. He was a weapon, should the need arise. He determined that the room was hyperbaricly sealed, though the room was at a normal atmospheric mix right then, an interesting feat, considering that it was a fairly typical room otherwise.

He heard the door open, and turned to see why. A man in white clothes stepped in. He was large and muscle-bound. "Lord Vader?" he asked, his voice a resounding bass.

"Yes?" he asked, going along with this farce, at least long enough to see what he wanted.

"The Emperor has come to see you."

"And?" he asked, not impressed.

"If you will come with me?" he asked, but it was not a question, and Anakin decided it wasn't worth the fight to try to stay in his room.

"Yes," he said simply. Maybe he would find out what this was about. They walked down a drab hallway to another small room, this one furnished with a small table and two chairs.

He sat in one of the chairs. He'd been through with subservience to the Sith slime in front of him since he'd killed him the first time.

"It's good to see you, my friend," the Emperor's oily voice seemed to drip even more than it usually did, both with false sincerity and, if he wasn't mistaken, sarcasm.

"What do you want, Palpatine?" he asked, hoping to catch him off guard.

"I have been worried about you since the incident on Endor," he said, not seeming to take offense in the less-than-subservient attitude that Vader was displaying, "The doctors say that you seem to be feeling better today."

"I am fine, no thanks to you."

He again ignored the jibe that would have ordinarily had Vader writhing on the floor in agony for insubordination. "I'm glad to hear you say that. I had hoped that you could eventually accept what happened and move on."

"What happened that I must accept?" he asked suspiciously.

"We won the battle of Endor, but your son…" Palpatine barely choked out the last word—died—before Anakin had him pinned against the wall.

_

* * *

_

**_Millennium Falcon, _Bespin, Cloud City**

Jasmine threw herself onto her bunk, strapping herself in for take off. Luke and Leia were talking, and Han and Chewie were in the cockpit, and Ash was in one of the turbolaser pods, and there was nothing for her to do, not that she really felt like doing anything. She could feel the fear of the people on Cloud City as some of the repulsor pods on one side were more damaged than on the other, and the city started to tilt and fall into the planet. There were many scrambling to get off the city, but this Grievous was still shooting at the city and anyone coming off of it. She could feel like a pressing weight the concern that everyone on the ship had for Cedric, something that she herself felt.

She felt like curling into a ball and crying forever. Tann was gone. She was sure that they wouldn't see her again until after she'd had the baby. Even then, it was only going to be Cedric who saw her. Cedric wasn't going to turn into a Sith, at least it wasn't really likely, but now she understood some of the darkness that had surrounded his path for the last year. She was afraid for him, for his son. Then she felt him reaching out to her. _Jaz, what's wrong?_

She didn't know how to tell him what was wrong. She said the first thing that came to mind, _Oh, Cedric, I'm so sorry. _She took a shaky breath and admitted the worst part, _I couldn't save him._ She broke off the connection. It was draining her far faster than she would care to admit to talk to him over such a distance. He hadn't, wouldn't understand what she was saying until they got home. Maybe not even then. He was too young for what was going to be happening to him. The war, the baby, the Senate. Cedric was going to hurt a lot, for a long time, and there was nothing that she could do about it, except be there for him, and that was what hurt her inside the most.

* * *

**Coruscant, Jedi Temple, hallway**

Jaedrea was walking to Flight Class when her vision started swimming, she soon felt as if she were falling. She landed in a field, the grass was soft and she could swear she was on Naboo, the air smelled like Naboo, but it was strange. It felt like she was in one of her dreams about Vader, but he was nowhere to be seen. It was warm where she was, and it smelled of rain coming. It was night and the stars were bright. She was with a young woman, who she loved intensely. She also soon realized she was a man, older than she really was, as old a Luke, but not as old as Daddy.

"Isn't it great?" Her voice said.

"It's very grand Klemis. Thank you for sharing it with me. I'm glad you aren't taking being thrown out of the program badly," the young woman said.

"It is not enough to prevent me from achieving my goals. I will survive my dear Anneis, and I will thrive," her voice spoke again.

"I know you will Klemis, you will be the greatest of us. It is a shame the program directors don't see it. I don't believe you really did what they said you did. You are incorruptible and above the kind of politics that Selis and his cronies practice," Anneis said.

"You know me so well Anneis. Of course I would never do anything to cause you to doubt me," her voice said, but she could taste the lie in them, she knew she HAD done what the directors had accused her of and she was ashamed. Not of committed the acts themselves, but of lying to Anneis about it.

"Now show me that chamber you found," Anneis said.

"Of course, my dear," her voice said, and found her mind wondering if the stranger would be here again tonight. He'd already shown her how much power she had within her and had only started teaching her how to use it. Soon she would know enough to be able to get back into the program. He'd asked her to bring Anneis tonight, but not to say anything about him. She wanted to keep her benefactor pleased with her, so she did as bidden. They found the hole that led down to what used to be an atrium on the surface thousands of years ago. There was no sign of her benefactor, but she was uneasy. She didn't know why though.

"Are you alright, Klemis?" Anneis asked.

"Yes, yes my dear. I'm just nervous," she said, thinking quickly for a reason to be nervous.

"What about?" Anneis asked, her voice betraying her anticipation, the anticipation gave her what she should be nervous about.

"I want to ask you something, but I do not know if you'll say…" she started to say then Anneis interrupted.

"YES! Of course I'll marry you! You silly lug what took you so long to ask me?"

"I don't know…lack of a way to support you, the fact your father hates me."

"Daddy doesn't hate you, he just doesn't know you," Anneis said then kissed her full on the lips. She decided that it would be a good chance to practice the skill her benefactor last taught her, the one that she needed most to get back in the good graces of the directors. She nudged Anneis mind just enough for her to give in to her body's desires and she started removing layers of clothes, while she kissed Anneis's sweet neck, holding her tight, the uneasy feeling grew and she found herself unable to concentrate on Anneis. The next thing she knew she was thrown violently away from her.

"You are weak," a voice said, seemingly coming from everywhere. "You do not deserve my Master's instruction. I have come to prove to him how weak you are. Defend your woman, if you can. If you dare."

"Come out where I can see you! Coward!" Jaedrea said.

"If you were worthy of my Master's attention you'd know where I was and kill me."

"You are afraid to face me?" she said.

"Klemis, what is happening?" Anneis sounded scared, and that angered Jaedrea. She struck the darkness with the lightning that her benefactor had taught her.

"Oh, so you have some power after all, but you missed," the voice taunted. A crimson blade flew towards Anneis and Jaedrea caught it just before it struck her.

"Weak, you should watch for your own defenses!" the voice said as intense pain enveloped her. As quickly as it came it stopped.

"This bores me; let's see if you are better with a target you can see."

A blur of motion started circling them, Jaedrea struck with the lightning again and again, her vision went red with rage. She didn't know how long she was in that red haze, but when her vision cleared, there was no sign of the voice, just a slight breeze with the smell of burnt meat. She wondered where that smell came from and turned looking for Anneis. She looked in horror at what she saw, her sweet, perfect Anneis, black and smoldering from her lightning, then the memory of her screams came, her begging her to stop. She was hurting her, worse yet the memory of ENJOYING it. Her vision swam again, and she found herself on her knees in the Jedi Temple, vomiting.


	32. Stepping off into War

AN: I think that this is the last chapter. I don't know of much that I want to do that I don't want to put in the next story. I am taking a break from this whole storyline for a lot of reasons, and I'm sorry. I might start this again in the summer, but I'm not sure. As promised, I will start posting a new story, The Necklace, and I will continue to work on The Slightest Bit of Happiness. I will likely not do an Epilogue for this story, unless it appears that I actually want to skip some time, which I don't think I do. The war will be too big of an event to skip out on.

MrPowell: Hopefully this chapter answers some of your questions. Sifo-Dyas still went to order the Clones, but by the time he did, the three Skywalkers were already affecting things in the past, so he knew that the time before the war would be much longer. He ordered them ready about a year previous to the time that the story is set. I don't know much about the two sets of clones of which you speak, but I'll research between now and when I start writing that story.

Sentrosi: Not for a while, but it will come.

ElusiveMaverick:Thank you for your kind words, and yes, I will do another sequel. I don't know when, though.

* * *

Chapter 31

_**Millennium Falcon**_**, Bespin, 39:6:4**

Luke hugged his sister as she cried. The loss of Aayla was a major blow to the order, but Luke wasn't concerned with that, he was concerned with the effect it was having on his sister.

"In one sense I barely knew her, yet I feel this hole in my heart where she was," Leia was saying.

"She'll always be with you Leia, just like Ben was with me after the Death Star," Luke said.

"It was a stupid wasteful death," and she fell into sobbing again.

"Any non-natural death is stupid and wasteful," Luke said. Just at that moment Han came into the common room.

"We've got company Luke! Fighters of a configuration I've never seen before coming in fast," Han said, then saw Leia crying. "What happened?"

"Aayla didn't make it, Han," Luke said, the words making Leia's tears come faster.

"Oh, sweetheart, I'm sorry," Han said, his mind taken off of the danger they were in.

Leia suddenly looked up, a ghost of a smile on her face and she whispered, "Yes, Master, you're right."

"Huh?" Han said.

Luke allowed himself a grin, "We'll explain later, Han. Right now let's stay alive."

"Yes, Han I'll need you later, but we have to get out of this first," Leia said wiping away her tears.

"Right…Come on Luke those fighters have to be…" the ship shook at that point, and Chewbacca gave an irritated growl over the speaker.

"All right, all right! Don't get your pelt in a knot Chewie!" Han said as he bounded over to the turrets.

Luke was impressed with the weapons systems in the turret, they were slightly more powerful than the ones Han had in the Falcon in the other timeline. The benefits of being legitimate were good.

The fighters were coming in fast and Luke was reminded of their escape from the Death Star all of those years ago. Luke found this fight much easier than that one, of course there were a lot more fighters this time and they were trying to kill them.

The fighters were flat with half-oval wing extensions, the wing extensions opened up revealing short laser cannons which started firing on the fleeing Falcon. Luke closed his eyes and let the Force guide him, it guided him in destroying the most dangerous of the fighters, but he knew that unless something changed it was just a matter of time before they overwhelmed even his skills. He kept firing, then he heard Han say, "These guys must have really advanced inertial dampeners to make maneuvers like that!"

"They aren't manned, Han. They are droid fighters," Luke said.

"Those are illegal, Luke," Han said.

"And whoever built them broke the law," Luke said.

"Ya think?" Han retorted. Luke grinned at the outburst. Yes, the Han of this time line might not ever have been a smuggler, but it was now obvious that his attitude wasn't brought on by his profession.

The droid fighters kept coming, the Falcon twisted and turned, running a course that if plotted out would resemble a figure eight. Several of the droid fighters crashed into each other trying to stay on the Falcon's tail in the blind spot, but Chewie was doing a good job of not letting them stay there, and he'd been able to position the freighter for either Luke or Han to get a shot. More droids filled the sky above Bespin. The Falcon started a general shimmy as the droids started, through sheer numbers, to pelt the ship's shields with regular hits. Luke was now starting to worry; once the shields went down that would be just about that. Then a series of hits shook the Falcon violently, killing the power on board. All of the lights, the gravity, everything was gone.

"Damn it! This tears it! NO ONE BREAKS MY SHIP!" Han said, livid.

Luke was too concerned to be amused by Han's histrionics. The droids hadn't destroyed them yet and he wondered why. He heard Chewie roar in frustration from the cockpit. Han passed back into the common room on his way to the engine compartment. Soon after that he heard a squeal and a crash, followed by Kel Dorian curses. Minimal power came back and Luke looked at the turrets sensors and was not surprised to see a capital ship approaching. It wasn't long before the Falcon started moving toward the behemoth of a ship. It was long and narrow, compared to the star cruisers that Luke was familiar with.

The Falcon continued towards the open hanger, Luke got out of the turret and headed back to the common room toward where, on the Falcon he was used to at least, were hidden compartments, and to his relief found that they were in place.

"Good, they're here!"

"Whatcha talking about, kid?" Han said as he started past Luke headed back up to the cockpit.

"The smuggling compartments. We need to hide in here, they are taking us in," Luke said.

"Oh, no…no, no, and no. Not on my watch!" Han said.

"We don't have a choice, Han! They have us in a tractor beam,"

"This day just keeps getting better. Is there room for all of us?"

"It'll be tight, but yes," Luke said.

"Ok, good thing Jasmine's short!" Han said then called everyone to the compartments. They pulled the cover over just as they felt the ship touch down.

* * *

_**Millennium Falcon**_**, Bespin, 39:6:4**

Han peaked out of the smuggling compartments. Lucky thing that they were there. It had been quiet for some time. A cursory inspection of the ship had been performed some time before, but something had happened and whoever was looking over the ship had run out in a big hurry.

"I think that we are safe," Han whispered to Luke.

"It seems so. Let's see what's going on," Luke agreed.

"I'm going to the cockpit," Han whispered back as he scrambled out of the compartment. Luke merely nodded in response, helping his sisters out of the compartments. He walked carefully but quickly to the cockpit, keeping low so that if anyone happened to be watching the cockpit, they didn't see him.

Flipping the comm on low, he discovered why. "Rogue Leader, this is Rogue Three. No sign of friendlies in the area," Wes's familiar voice came over the comm.

He flipped the comm on. "They caught us in a tractor beam, Wes. That's why you can't find us."

"There you are. Getting a lock on your location now. That ship better spit you out if it knows what's good for it," Hobbie's feral rant came.

"Come on, Rogue Six, you know they didn't expect us. I'm sure they're trying right now to release the _Falcon_ so we can have her back," Wedge said.

"Can't be fast enough, Rogue Two," Zev said.

"Cut the chatter, Rogue Nine. The rest of you lot, too," Dreis said, always acting the stern commander. Han knew better, but he wasn't about to inform anyone of it.

"So, what's the story?" Luke asked as he came up behind him.

"Flyboys are out there. I don't know if we can get away or not. I'm sure the tractor beam is still active."

"I can take that out. Give me a few minutes."

"Fine. I guess Rogue Squadron has them more occupied that we do."

"Distractions are always good, when it's not your side that's being distracted," Luke said, heading off to the ramp, still open from the earlier investigation.

* * *

_**Millennium Falcon**_**, Bespin, 39:6:4**

Luke pressed his way back to the ship; he'd been able to find the control towers for the tractor beam and disable them with no problems. Getting back to the ship, however, had proved more difficult. He battled through several groups of droids, disabling them efficiently as he made his way back to the _Falcon_, finally getting back to the cargo bay that they had been towed into.

"Luke!" Leia called from the ramp.

"Have Han get the ship ready. We're leaving," he called to her, and she disappeared up the ramp.

The cargo bay started to fill with droids, but Luke was sick of having to wade through them. He used the Force to propel himself up and over all the droids, and he landed on the ramp of the _Falcon_. The droids were obviously not programmed to deal with people jumping distances of that magnitude, so he was able to get up the ramp and start it closing before they started firing at him again.

"Can we get out of here now?" Luke asked Leia as she came down the passage.

She nodded, and he reached out for her. "Come on. I don't think we'll get out of here without another fight. Did you want to be in the cockpit or on guns?"

"I think the cockpit will be fine. Han has taught me a lot about how to fly this ship," she said, patting the bulkhead as she walked with him to the front of the ship.

"We've got trouble," Han said as they entered the cockpit.

"Let's get on the guns, and Leia can help Chewie fly, and we'll get out of here."

"More droids to kill? Sounds good," Han said.

* * *

_**X-Wing 378-C9**_**, Bespin, 39:6:4**

Biggs, also known as Rogue Five, circled the bigger ship of the enemy. He didn't yet know what they were going to call themselves, but he didn't really care, either. They were holding his friends captive, which gave them only one name—the enemy. Rogue Squadron had been formed to be an independent strike force, one that could work with Jedi, and completely autonomously as well. Their mission this trip had been to maintain contact with the Jedi force on Bespin. That force had failed to check in on time that morning, and so the Rogues hadn't waited around to hear anything else. The military had been waiting in the next system, but it was still three hours through hyperspace to get there.

He spun the fighter around, going across for another pass, trying to take out one of the big guns, which he did. "Good shooting, Rogue Five," he heard someone say over the speakers, but he didn't have time to consider who it was, because another of the guns had set its sights on him. He dodged out of the way of the trail of fire, but only barely. He barrel rolled his fighter as he dodged another gun's stray fire, purely on instinct.

He shouted, exhilarated by the adrenaline rush of the battle, and being better than their enemy. He flipped over again, ready to take out another gun, but the _Falcon_ came out of the docking bay of the ship he was getting ready to attack. "Can you make the jump, Han?" he heard Commander Dreis ask.

"Yes, I will be able to," he heard the answer. They were headed home, and from the look of the planet below, not a moment too soon. Cloud City was not going to be in existence for much longer, the way some of the ships were bombarding it. Oddly, the ships they were trying to escape from stopped shooting at them as they formed up around the _Falcon._ He didn't have much time to consider why as they jumped into hyperspace to rejoin the rest of the Fleet that they had brought to ensure that they could drive the Sith from the planet of Bespin.

* * *

**Coruscant, Jedi Temple, Healer's, 39:6:4**

Jaedrea sat in the office of her sister's Master. "Tell me what's going on with you."

"I just feel sick," she said, "I don't like being sick, Master Allie."

"Well, you don't seem to have an infection of any sort, so I think you are sick for some other reason. Are you sure that you don't want to tell me what?"

"I don't know, Master Allie," she insisted, nearly in tears.

"Alright, Jae. I'm not going to send you back to school, just in case you have some pathogen that I can't detect, and it's contagious. Master Kenobi should be here to pick you up in a few minutes." She breathed a sigh of relief. At least Master Allie wouldn't pursue the issue further. "But I want you to stay inside, and not see anybody else. You need to take this seriously, Jaedrea."

"Yes, Master," she said respectfully.

Master Allie continued to look at her quizzically, but Obi-Wan came in before she got uncomfortable under the Master Healer's scrutiny. She was quiet as they went to another room, but somehow the door didn't close all the way, and she heard their conversation. "I'm worried about this, Obi-Wan. Something's going on with her, and she won't tell me. I don't think she's sick, but something is really affecting her. I'm going to let her go home with you, in case there is something, and I think it made her feel better when I told her she did not to have to go to school. Can you tell me what's going on with her?"

"She isn't having the best time adjusting. Julia isn't talking to her. I'm not sure that is what's wrong with her particularly. We have discussed the issue, and she doesn't seem that worried over it, at least not to the point of being physically ill. I may have misjudged. I will see if I can talk it out of her."

"That will be a relief, Obi-Wan. She just hasn't been the same since her accident, and to some extent even before that. I'm not sure what to do about this. If it were the old Jaedrea, I would think that she was faking this to get out of class, so she could do something nefarious, but I just don't think that's it. But she is hiding something from me."

"Let me handle my Padawan. I'm sure there is a good explanation as to why she is physically ill suddenly."

She was quiet, curled up into a ball on the exam table, as they came back into the room. "Are you ready to go home, Jaedrea?" She nodded to Obi-Wan, and he said, "Well, then I guess we can go."

She looked down at the floor as they walked, tired from the horrid vision that had caused her to come into the Healer's this morning. "You seem rather subdued, my Padawan."

"I think I'm tired. I don't feel good," she said, as they walked back to his quarters.

"Well, do you know why you don't feel good?"

"My stomach is all queasy and I feel like I do when you make me go through all of the steps of all of the forms in one day three times," which wasn't exactly the answer that Obi-Wan was looking for, but she wasn't ready to describe the vision that she'd had.

"Alright, my Padawan. Maybe you'll feel better after a nap."

The suggestion filled her with dread, "I don't want to take a nap."

"Why? It will make you feel better."

"I don't want to go to sleep," she said, and the conclusion that she would need to do so at some point made her uneasy. Fortunately they were home. The door opened, and they went inside.

"Why don't you want to go to sleep, Jaedrea? Are the dreams that you are having bothering you that much?"

She shook her head. "It was something else. I don't want to talk about it," she said, the horror that she felt from having experienced something so horribly tragic filling her. Her master's arms around her shoulders were all that it took to make the tears spill from her.

"Well, I think that you need to talk about it. Your father wants me to come to Kamino with him, and I don't think it would be too bad of an idea for you to come, too. That might give you enough time to think about what you want to say. We can go to Ilum, as well."

"Really, Master?"

"Really. I will talk with Anakin about it," he said, and as she pulled away from him so that he could go, he said, "And I still think that you should take a nap. I don't know what you've done in the last hour, but you look exhausted."

* * *

_**Vengeance Reborn, **_**en route to Coruscant, 39:6:4**

Sev'rance Tann was shaken by the encounters she had been through that day. First the Skywalker girl, Leia, had attacked her, but then the one that they always sent to chase her, Luke, had actually come to her defense, at least sort of. And how had the littlest of them known that she was pregnant?

After she had escaped Cloud City, she had told Grievous off; it hadn't helped. He was intractable and unrepentant, so she had left so that she wouldn't get angry with him, at least not any worse than what she already was. Cloud City was a total loss; she was going to have to find another place to use as a front for her shipments, and another place to get Tibanna gas.

She left explicit and detailed instructions for Grievous, but she figured no matter how detailed she got, he would find some hole that she left in them to exploit. She couldn't deal with the droid general any longer. He was on his way back to Tarkin; someone who at least could deal with him. She, on the other hand, had decided that it was time for a trip to Coruscant. She hadn't seen Cedric in two months, and she hoped that she could mitigate the damage that permitting the Skywalker Clan to find out that she was pregnant was going to do.

It always made her far happier to see Cedric than she ever wanted to admit, even to herself, but he didn't seem to feel the same way. _He would if you would take the time to do things the proper way, instead of jumping headlong into things that you don't understand._ She pressed the thought away, but it wouldn't go; stubborn, just like the part of her that it had come from. The part of her that grew stronger every time she saw Cedric; sometimes even when she just thought about him, that part of her would gain strength.

_What did you think was going to happen when his family found out?_

_I thought I could convince him to come with me._

_You should really know better than that._

She suddenly didn't want to go to Coruscant quite so much, but she had little choice. If she wanted to continue her relationship with Cedric, she would have to face this hurdle, and the sooner she got it over with, the smaller it would be.

* * *

**Kamino, Cloning facilities, Observatory, 39:6:8**

Obi-Wan felt odd as he entered the cloning facility, both because it was almost déjà vu and they had left Jaedrea on the ship, but he recognized that the déjà vu came from Anakin. He listened to the Kaminoian's explanation of what had happened. "When we heard from Master Sifo-Dyas we were rather puzzled by his odd request. This facility typically produces few large scale orders, but those that do want large numbers of clones usually want them sooner rather than later." The tall being stopped as they observed the clones for a time then continued. "The requests that he made were honored, but we were beginning to wonder if anyone would ever come for them. There are several specializations within the units. If you will follow me, I will show you some of our best work."

Anakin was letting a lot of things reverberate through their link; it was almost like hearing a constant commentary of battle worthiness and other considerations of a commander as he listened to the comments of the head cloner about the various clone variations that they had made. Anakin had seen most of the variations that the cloners presented the two of them, and he had seen them in hard combat; Obi-Wan was surprised at his former Padawan's obvious facility with battle tactics, something that had been tested hard in his other memories, the ones he didn't willingly share with Obi-Wan often. He remained nearly silent in this place, seemingly unchanged from the first time that he had visited in the other universe over twenty years previous.

"The first two batches of Clones are ready to go; two hundred thousand units."

"That is fine. How often will replacements and new units be ready?"

"Six to nine month intervals."

He asked more questions, ones that Anakin had been unable to answer for him or for Bail or Padmé. The head cloner was more than happy to answer all of their questions.

"When and where do you want these Clones delivered?" she asked finally as they finished their tour and came back into the anteroom.

"Dantooine," Anakin answered, startling Obi-Wan just a little.

"Very well, Master Skywalker," the being answered.

"As soon as possible, we would like to have them."

"Very well, Master Kenobi, did you have any further questions or concerns about the clones?"

"No," Obi-Wan answered. "Thank you for your time."

"One more thing; Order 66 needs to be purged," Anakin piped up.

"Of course, Master Skywalker," she said as she turned to leave, "We are most appreciative of the needs of the Republic," she said, leaving them, and they headed back to Coruscant.

* * *

**Coruscant, Jedi Temple, Skywalker Central, 39:6:11**

Padmé watched as Anakin settled into the sofa, exhausted from his trip to Kamino. It had been a successful trip, but seven days in hyperspace was enough to make anyone weary of it. She was understanding, but this needed done, and the sooner the better. Jasmine curled up on one side of him, and Jaedrea on the other, and he closed his eyes, looking like he was about to fall asleep.

"Are you going to stay awake for this?"

"If you insist upon having a family meeting now, I suppose I will have to," he said without opening his eyes.

Julia came in, shying away from the other two triplets, sitting as far away from them as she could. It really tore at Padmé's heart, knowing what a Daddy's girl she was. Luke was already sitting in one of the three chairs that were normally in the living room and Mara in another one, and she'd brought in two of the kitchen chairs. Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon had insisted on sitting in those. Leia and Han came in through the balcony; the Solo twins had been playing out there, and they had both just gone down for naps finally. Liz and Celia came in together; they had both been working on the other side of the Temple.

Cedric quietly came in behind her. She didn't realize, even, that the door had opened again until he brushed her arm. "We can start now, Mom, unless you want Master Ti or anyone else here."

"Oh, no, I think we have quite enough Jedi Masters gathered already," she said to him as he sat on the sofa.

He nodded, and for some reason she thought he was rather nervous. She brushed off the sensation, focusing instead on the issue at hand.

"I know that there are some scary things going on right now; it seems like the Senate is collapsing, and there is almost inevitably going to be war."

"Is it going to be another war with the Sith?" Liz asked.

"I don't know," Luke answered her question.

"What do you mean you don't know?" she asked.

"I think Darth Maul is dead."

"Why do you think that?" Anakin asked as his eyes snapped open.

"I've sort of pieced it together from a bunch of different things."

Anakin's eyes narrowed. "What things?"

"When was the last time anyone saw him?"

"A couple of years ago, but it's been years between confirmed sightings of either of them before," Anakin said, sitting up, his attention now captured.

"You remember about a month ago when we thought that we felt the death of a planet?"

"I remember."

"Well, I imagine, from Maul being absent and that event that he was likely overseeing the construction of that menace."

"That doesn't prove that he's dead, Luke."

"I'm getting there. He sent Immolious to Bespin to take over and supply the place. She even told Lando where the supplies were going."

"Where?" Anakin asked, his intense curiosity evident.

"Endor."

Anakin looked rather unhappy at that revelation, "So what then on this wandering path of his death?"

"She did something that makes me really not happy with the future."

Concern suddenly showed on Anakin's face. "What?"

"She raped Cedric," he said, and the room erupted into chaos.

When everything finally settled back into quiet, Padmé asked Cedric, "Did you know about this?"

"No, I didn't," he said quietly, then turned to Luke. "She's pregnant, isn't she?"

Luke nodded, "Yes, how did you know?"

"I've been having dreams about the baby."

Luke sighed. "Do you think it was on purpose?"

"I have no doubt she got herself pregnant on purpose."

Luke nodded again. "That was what I thought, but you confirming it does help me make this theory more solid," he said, and turned his attention back to the question Anakin had asked. "She wants the baby, and Maul found out about it. What do you think that would have happened then?"

"She would have either been subjected to some torture until she miscarried the baby, or told to get rid of it herself. The way of the Sith is not a pleasant one," Anakin said.

"While we were on Bothawui, something happened to Jasmine, she got really sick from taking in a great deal of dark energy, siphoning it off someone else in order to save that person's life, someone who was family, but we never found out who."

"I remember that," Cedric said. "We both thought at the time that it felt like Tann's energy."

"I think she was using the dark energy to fight Maul. It's the only thing that makes sense, if you try to fit all the pieces together."

"And since the baby is still alive, and she's running about free, the most logical assumption is that Maul is dead," Anakin said, and satisfied with the explanation, he slumped back down into position between the girls.

"When I was dreaming about the baby, he had scars from the darkness that nearly consumed him." Cedric said, almost too quietly for Padmé to hear him.

Luke was quiet for a time. "I don't know if she will continue in this fight. If she does, then we will fight her, and if she does not, then we will not. We have others to worry about, as well, I believe. Do you know of someone named General Grievous?"

Anakin sat up, clearly biting back a string of curses. "Where did you hear that name?"

"From Tann."

"Sithspit," he said, and the word seemed like it had burned on his tongue. "That was about the last thing I wanted to hear. I think the actual last thing that I want to hear is that Tarkin is in charge of the Death Star."

"That name sounds familiar," Cedric said.

"How familiar?" Anakin asked as his attention snapped to his younger son.

He shrugged. "She's interacted with him. I don't know what he's in charge of, but there is something. She doesn't like him."

"I doubt he cares. He isn't in it to be liked. He's a madman, and quite capable of not caring who gets in his way, should he desire something, including entire planets."

Silence fell on the room as the somber mood took hold of the Skywalker clan. Padmé spoke up finally. "The Senate has fallen apart. There will be war."

"What happened?" Cedric asked before anyone else could.

"The vote on the Fair Banking Act failed by one vote. Most of the Senators from the Outer Rim walked out," Padmé replied.

"And the Banking Clan, and their cronies, too. There were declarations of war on the floor of the Senate," Anakin added.

"So are we going to get involved?" Liz asked.

"The Republic is in no condition to get involved at this point. The work that Cedric has been doing to help create a new Constitution will continue, and once that's done, hopefully we can convince the Outer Rim that they will be protected, and are just as important as the Core Worlds. I don't know how long that will take," Padmé said.

"It will be done as quickly as possible, but it must be done correctly," Cedric said.

"How long do you think it will take?" Celia asked.

"A few months, at least," he answered her, then turned to Padmé, asking, "Do you know if any of the Senators from the Constitutional Committee have gone home?"

"Bail said a few of them have been recalled, but that they aren't leaving."

He nodded. "Do you know when we are going to get started again?"

"Bail has been trying to get everyone together, but it's been hard. I think tomorrow you might be able to get some work done."

"I hope so."

"The Jedi on Dantooine will be embroiled in battle soon. The first battalions of Clone Troopers will be sent there," Anakin said as he got up, "and I'm about to fall asleep, so I'm going to bed."

Padmé watched not her husband, but Elizabeth's reaction to what he'd just said. She remembered that Fin had asked to go to Dantooine, and so he was there now. Liz was nearly in tears, and Padmé didn't know that there was anything that she could do about it, other than hug her daughter, and let her cry. Anakin looked at her, and the look on his face made her shiver. He was calculating, plotting something inside his head, and he was too tired to hide it from her. "In a couple of days, I'll go out there. Leia should be ready to go by then. I'm taking Luke as well. Liz should come."

Liz sniffed and turned to him, confused. "Why should I go?"

"Because, I think you will be helpful."

"What help am I going to be, Dad? I don't know the first thing about battles."

"I don't know yet. If it goes badly, we will need help in coordinating everyone, getting people off the planet. You are quite good at that."

"I'll go, but I still don't understand why you want me along."

"That's fine. You'll figure it out when the time is right," he said, and headed off to their bedroom.

She watched as her children took this rare moment when they were all together to talk amongst themselves, pairing off to an extent, but the several conversations were not dissimilar. War was coming, and they were all going to be taking part in it. She listened somewhat as Qui-Gon came over to her. "This will not destroy your family, Padmé," he said, knowing the worries on her mind from the many years they had talked. He was one of her closest friends and she always took his advice to heart.

"I am still worried about this war, it's going to affect us, all of us," she said, looking up at him.

He looked back at her compassionately, saying, "If anything happens to the bonds that your children share, they will only get stronger. You shouldn't worry too much. Anakin, Luke and Leia know how to make war. If anything, I worry less, because they know how messy this is, and aren't going to be afraid to do it."

* * *

**Coruscant, Jedi Temple, Skywalker Central, 39:6:11**

Anakin fell asleep, disturbed by the dream that he'd had the night before he left for Kamino. He hoped that it was just a one-time thing, and that he wouldn't dream it again. He had a feeling that he would no matter what he did, even though he had not dreamt anything remotely disturbing on the trip out and back.

He woke. He was lying on the bed in the room where he was cut off from the Force. Well, that wasn't precisely accurate. He could _feel_ it, but he couldn't _use_ it. It did him no good either way. He examined his surroundings again, finding them no different than he had the previous time that he'd woken in this place. He settled back down on the bed.

It wasn't long before someone came in to talk to him. He simply looked up, examining them with his visual sensors. He hated his mask, but it did occasionally provide useful information, when he bothered to do more than glance at the text that constantly appeared around the edges of the viewscreen. It seemed to him that he only received information in the form of text-based analysis some days. The red screens drove him mad. And maybe that was part of the point.

"Well, how are you feeling today?"

"Fine," he answered the mousy looking man. _This must be one of the doctors or something._

"The Emperor seems to think that you are worth saving. I don't normally have a problem with that, but I must confess that the last three months with you here haven't been pleasant."

He considered the man's words. It had been, in his estimation, about three months that he'd been back on the side of the light. "What of it?"

"Well, you've killed nearly a dozen orderlies since you've come to our facility. We had to hire Roberto to deal with you. No one else would."

He thought about apologizing, but decided that the man expected him to act like Vader._But I'm not Vader. I will not act like it._ "I am sorry for my actions," he said finally, and the man looked shocked. He could even tell that through his blasted mask.

"Well, you haven't thrown anything yet today, so I'm thinking that there may actually be hope for you."

"What is there for me to throw?"

"You seem to have a knack for finding things."

He shrugged. "If what the Emperor said was true, I'd say that I have a right to be angry."

"What did the Emperor say to you? We had to put him into the hospital for several days with a concussion after you threw him into that wall."

He got up, pacing the small room twice before answering, "He said that my son was dead. What he didn't say, and why I threw him into the wall, is because he killed him."

"So you feel justified in your actions because of grief?"

"No. Killing is never justified. I am simply giving you an explanation of my actions."

"I don't understand."

"The deaths of your men are regrettable. I cannot change the past, nor can I remember it."

"So the last thing that you remember?"

"The conversation with Palpatine here."

"And before that?"

"The conversation between my son and Palpatine," he said. He so wasn't going into the whole reality that he perceived as real. The one where Luke and Leia were not his only children.

"That was before you came here?"

"Yes," he answered simply, thinking that it would have been obvious.

The doctor nodded. "We contacted the Emperor this morning when you seemed more yourself. He should be here soon enough."

"I do not wish to talk to him."

"I think it would be good for you to talk to him."

"I'd rather kill him."

"That, I'm afraid, will not be permitted."

"Then you shouldn't let me see him."

"You're really intent on killing him, aren't you?"

"I'd rather see him dead than just about anything else. I do not wish to see him harm anyone else."

"Anyone in particular that you're worried about?"

He eyed the doctor suspiciously, though through the mask, the doctor wouldn't have been able to tell. "Jaedrea."

"I haven't heard that name before, except from you. It's one of those things you occasionally shout."

He nearly laughed. "I'm sure."

"Anyone else?"

"No one in particular, I don't suppose. Do you know how the fight against the Rebellion is going?"

"What, wanting to get back to work already?"

"That would be nice."

"Not well, from what I hear. The Rebels who were trying to do whatever they were doing on Endor got away."

_Leia, precious. Good, you're safe at least._ He didn't move perceptibly, but it unclenched a tightness around his heart. "I should be going after them."

"Should you now?"

"Yes, work would be good for me."

"I'll be the judge of that. And until you can at least wake two days running without shredding your room you can't go back to work."

Anakin frowned. "Is Palpatine here yet?"

"No, it will probably be an hour before he gets here."

"Fine," he agreed, suddenly tired again. He lay back down on the bed. "I'll take a nap until he gets here then."

Anakin woke, his heart racing and breathing hard from the fear coursing through him from the nightmare. It took him quite a while to calm himself to the point where he felt like going back to bed.

* * *

**Coruscant, Jedi Temple, The Room of Trials, 39:6:13**

Leia was alone. It had been determined that Master Secura's death was the start of her trials, which saddened her, but she did her best to ensure that she was doing her best in her trials. It was not easy; in fact, if she failed badly, it could get her killed. It was nearly impossible to be alone on Coruscant, but somehow there was a special place in the Jedi Temple that made you feel that way.

Her trial of Courage was simply being here, in the face of all that had happened. The strength to go on and do what needed done. She didn't have to like it, but she did have to do it. She was still as she watched the figure of her Master approach her. "Leia'wa," she said warmly.

"Master, I'm sorry," she started.

"What happened was not your fault, my Padawan. It was time for me to rejoin the Force."

"I miss you."

"I will always be here with you, Padawan. You may not be able to see me, but I will be here," she could swear as she closed her eyes that she felt Aayla's hand brush a tear from her cheek. "You must get started. Your trials have begun."

"Yes, Master," she said as she drew strength from her Master's words. She opened herself to the Force, and she knew what she had to do.

* * *

**Coruscant, Jedi Temple, Kenobi Quarters, 39:6:14**

Anakin sat quietly at Obi-Wan's as the older Master made tea. It wasn't something that he would do for Anakin often, but sometimes, when they were both worried, Obi-Wan would make tea, and Anakin would sit. It wasn't often that he sat still for much of anything. If he was awake, he was usually doing something, even if it was just sitting in on a Council meeting. If there was nothing pressing, he was working with his hands, either in his workroom in his own quarters, which had droids, unless he was doing a larger project—in which case he had it strewn across the living room—or he was in his lightsaber workshop on one of the lower levels. It occasionally changed places as the needs of the Jedi changed. But there was very little time that Anakin was simply still, which is why he could tolerate the stillness that came with Obi-Wan making tea. It was different. Now, thirty-six years of habit had ingrained into him the ability, even an appreciation of the stillness that came during these quiet moments. He was able to sort out his thoughts and put them into a reasonably cohesive order by the time Obi-Wan set the tray on the short table.

"Is that why you make tea, Master?"

"Is what why?"

"So that I have time to put everything in order in my head."

"Well, I suppose that's part of it, but it also helps me to be more reflective when I've gotten too busy to care properly for my Padawans," Obi-Wan said, pouring tea into a cup and handing it to Anakin. He took a cup for himself and sat down across the table.

"So how do you tell when that happens?"

"You get this peculiarly mixed up line of thought going inside your head."

"And so you know because of that you haven't been paying enough attention to me?"

"It's not really quantity, Anakin; it's quality."

"Oh. So even if you only spent one hour a day with your Padawan, as long as it was something worthwhile, then you're still doing a good job?"

"Yes, I suppose you could look at it that way. So what's troubling you?"

"Dreams."

"For as long as I have known you, your dreams have troubled you."

"I know, Master. I think it's a product of having too much power to know what to do with."

Obi-Wan laughed a little, then said, "I think that's the first time that I have heard you say that you have too much power."

"Honestly, what am I going to do with it? I can go around floating all day, do tricks and chase people with the Force, and it doesn't make me tired. Still, even though I'm getting old."

"You aren't getting old, Anakin."

"With a third set of twins on the way, I feel old. I think about them turning twenty, and I'm going to be sixty-five when that happens."

"Well, I'm going to be sixty-five here in not too many years, and I have Jaedrea to worry over. She will only be thirteen."

"That's true. You don't have to keep her here if you don't want to."

"She's fine, or she's adjusting, at least."

"Is she really?"

"She seems to be. I don't know. I think somewhere along the way in the last three months she switched personalities with Jasmine."

"I don't think that's quite true. Jasmine found a place to stand, where she could be confident; Jaedrea lost hers."

"I don't truly think she had a place to begin with."

"That's probably true enough."

"So what about these dreams?"

"I'm back where I started, more or less."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, when we came to the past, it was from a battle on the Death Star, one where the Emperor met his final end."

"Yes, I know. The current theory is that the energy released when the Emperor died was simply pure energy, and either you or Luke, possibly both, gave it form and direction."

"I do remember thinking that I wished to have the opportunity to get to know my kids."

"That might be it, then, and the Force brought you to a point at which that could happen."

Anakin shrugged. "Well, I've had a couple of dreams where I'm still in the suit, locked up in a loony bin because the Emperor killed Luke, and defeated the Rebellion at Endor."

"I can't imagine how that makes you feel. You are already working through adjusting to doing good things again, and now this."

"Doing good, being a father and a husband, that is easy. It's all I ever wished for every day that I was a Sith."

"And yet you remained a Sith."

"I had given my vow to Sidious that I would follow him. In my mind I had already committed the most heinous crime that could ever be committed; I had killed my wife and unborn child. Committing genocide paled in comparison to that."

"Are you saying that if someone had let you know of the existence of the twins, that you would have turned back?"

"Probably. Maybe not immediately, but soon after. Palpatine would have made it clear that it would have been either me or the twins. I would have killed him for threatening my children. After that, I would have had little interest in maintaining the Empire. You know how I despise politics."

"And yet you married a politician."

"She doesn't bring work home, at least not too much. I try to do the same, though that is a bit harder, since Ash lives with me."

"So are you having any problems?"

"Oh, there are some. The thing I have the most problem with isn't how to be good, it's how not to be evil."

"Ah. But you know the full extent of what that path leads you into."

"Yes. That's about the only thing that holds me back sometimes."

Obi-Wan nodded. "So what challenges have you faced that have brought you close to that edge?"

"The Sith. The battle with Palpatine in the Senate brought me close, and this thing with Immolious messing around with Cedric has brought me closer. I suppose now it's probably a good thing that I didn't go to Bespin, because if she had showed up around me I would have probably kill her on sight."

"I can understand where you are coming from on that, but you must let reason and logic rule your decisions about the life and death of another."

"She is a Sith. For that reason alone, I should kill her."

"That is an entirely different issue, Anakin and you know it."

Anakin squirmed uncomfortably, just as he had done when he was much younger. "I realize that, Master. I'm not saying that it's anything like the same thing, but it's another nail in her coffin, so far as I'm concerned."

"You aren't angry with her?"

"She is a Sith. Messing with people, especially powerful people, is what she does. It does make me angry, but as a parent, not as a Jedi."

"You must come to terms with your anger before you confront her, if you confront her. It may be a moot point, if what Luke has been saying is true."

"It may be, Obi-Wan. I certainly hope so. It would, I think, not sit well with Cedric, though."

"He's intent on saving her, isn't he?"

"So it seems. We shall see how that goes."

Obi-Wan nodded. "It is acceptable for you to be angry, Anakin. But acting on your anger is not."

Anakin smiled. "I'd never thought of it that way."

"Anger is an emotion, just like any other. You may garner information from it, but you cannot act according to emotion."

"Just as you've taught me all these years."

"Yes, Anakin. Just as I've taught you these many years. You would think by now that the lesson had actually gotten through your thick skull, but I guess it needed pounded in one more time."

Anakin looked down sheepishly. "Yes, Master," he said, and finished his last bit of tea, and unfolded his long legs from underneath him. "I'd probably better get going. Jae will be home from school soon."

"Ah, so she will. Tell me, is Jaedrea in these new dreams?"

"No. I haven't seen her."

"She might be dreaming properly again."

"I hope so. This isn't fun."

"I imagine not."

"I'll be at home for a little while; anyway, if you think of anything else you want to ask me."

"There shouldn't be anything. I'll let you know what Jaedrea says."

Anakin nodded, then got up and left.

* * *

**Coruscant, Jedi Temple, Skywalker Balcony, 39:6:15**

Cedric hadn't slept well for the several nights since he had found out that he'd been duped. Well, he had really done it to himself. He knew that Sev'rance was not trustworthy, but he had arrogantly thought himself to be excepted from that. He had trusted her, and she had taken advantage of that. He paced on the balcony, trying to decide for himself who he was more upset with: her, or himself.

She surprised him by landing lightly on the balcony just behind him. He spun, pulling his lightsaber out but not lighting it. "Go away. Don't you think you've done enough to me already?" he said, exhaustion seeping into his voice.

"I just wanted to say that I was sorry; I didn't want you to find out this way," he looked at her, evaluating her statement, and her chosen form of dress. She was dressed in something skintight, but he'd never seen her in anything else. He doubted she owned anything that could be termed conservative, but this was the closest he had ever seen her wear.

"What way did you want me to find out? After you had already turned our son into a Sith?" she seemed surprised by the question; it obviously hadn't occurred to her to think about how she wanted to tell Cedric what she'd done.

"I don't know," she said quietly.

"Go away," he said again, frustrated. "I'm too angry to deal with you right now."

He turned away from her, putting his lightsaber away, and going over to the other side of the balcony. "Cedric," she called after him, and he turned back to look at her. She looked genuinely upset by the fact that he didn't want to talk to her.

"What?" he asked.

"What do you want from me? I want to make this up to you."

"I don't think that there is anything in this world that you could do that would undo the damage that you have done, but we have to deal with the situation as it is. My first concern has to be for the baby. Sith spit! I'm not ready for this Sev'rance! I love you so much it hurts in the best of times, but right now it feels like a vibroblade in my heart and I can't die from the wound," he said, turning away from her again, the hot summer breeze doing little to help his mood.

"I didn't want this," she said, and the outrageousness of her statement infuriated him. He spun angrily and stalked toward her.

"I didn't want this."

"I know you didn't, your original intention was to use me as an insemination station and leave my lifeless body in a ditch someplace!" Cedric screamed in her face.

Cedric couldn't see the tears that were forming in Tann's eyes through the tears in his own, and, she said nothing as he walked away from her again.

"And yet you did just what you set out to do. Happy? I now have to wonder if you even really give a damn about me after all!"

"Cedric…I…" she started, but her voice faltered.

"You what? You love me? Sev'rance, you don't know what that means. You've never experienced it; you've never been held by your mother, or played with by a father. Your entire life has been misery. I hoped I would someday bring some happiness into it. But now…I don't know if I'll be able to," he said, finally growing a little quieter, his anger having spent itself for the moment.

"We made love, Cedric…" she started but he interrupted again.

"NO! No we didn't, you RAPED ME!" hot tears flowed from Cedric's eyes freely now.

"No, Cedric…you…enjoyed it, I know you did…and you…" she was confused.

"I DON'T REMEMBER IT! I TRUSTED YOU! At least not to do THAT!" he screamed, as it was apparently the only thing that was getting through to her.

Tann was silent, quietly weeping; her sadness at Cedric's anger was so great. In her old prison in her mind, where the Sith was chained up, there was laughter. She came over to him and for the first time in her life felt compelled to hug someone, but Cedric lashed out as she tried.

"Don't touch me!" he said, pushing her away from him.

"Cedric…I won't come back, if you don't want me to," she said, her voice small.

"Oh, no. You aren't getting off that easy, Sev'rance. Like it or not we have a child on the way, a child that will need BOTH of his parents."

"What makes you think that would be easy?" she asked him. Her voice was carefully neutral, but he could feel the sadness and anger behind the question.

"It would make your life simpler if I were out of it, would it not? If I said leave me and never come back here?"

He was floored by the depth of the despair that she felt from that statement. It was close to suicidal. He hadn't expected that. Somewhere inside her, she knew that she'd royally messed their relationship up, and she didn't know how to fix it. She was doing something else that he hadn't expected: she was asking for his help to fix the problem. Unfortunately, he didn't really have the answers either. She said nothing to him, acting for all the world like a child that had been beaten more times than they could count, and expecting another one. He realized then that was exactly what she was.

He sighed, knowing he could talk to someone later, where she would only let him in. He released his anger into the Force. It wasn't helping him and if he didn't do something soon, he would surely have company sooner than he wanted it. "Sev'rance," he said, but she was so wrapped up in her own thoughts that she didn't hear him. He hesitantly reached out to her, putting his hand over hers.

She looked up at him, and the look in her eyes frightened him slightly. "I'll," she started, but he cut her off.

"No," he said, knowing that she had intended to tell him that she would leave. He decided to try a different tactic with her, a gentler one. "You do understand that what you did was wrong, do you not?"

She nodded uncertainly.

"Explain to me why it was wrong," he said, and she nodded shakily as she tried to compose herself.

"I…shouldn't have had sex with you. You…aren't ready for the responsibilities of fatherhood," she said, but it sounded like she was reciting something she'd been told. He gently probed her memories, and figured out who had told her that. _Luke_.

"But I accept them anyway. What else?" he asked, hoping that she would realize that the real issue he had with the whole mess was that she hadn't trusted him.

She looked at him pleadingly. She really didn't seem to know what else he wanted from her. He waited until she said, "I don't…know…"

He nodded. "You compounded the problem by mucking around inside my head. I trusted you, and by altering my memories, you broke that trust."

"But I didn't want anyone else to know," she said, and it seemed to him that she started to understand that it was a violation of his mind, a violation that he took more seriously than the violation of his body.

"You should have thought about that before you tried to engage me in your little plan. If you thought that it was a concern, you should have either not done it, or you should have asked me," he could feel her trying to understand what he was telling her, just as if the wheels were turning inside his own head.

"So would you have told anyone, if I had left your memories intact?" she asked.

"I don't know. Probably not," he said, a small smile turning up one corner of his mouth for a moment, "but you should have asked that before you started messing around in my head."

"I…I'm sorry," she said, and it felt like the first sincere apology he had ever gotten out of her.

"I'm sorry, too. I'm sorry that I can't trust you anymore," he said, taking his hand off of hers finally. There was something electric in the way that they connected when they touched, and he didn't want that to interfere with his thinking.

"Is there something I can do to fix that?" she asked hesitantly.

"There are many things, but it will mostly take not doing things that will make me not trust you, and time," he gave up on the pretense of not wanting to be around her. He was still upset with her, but it wasn't going to do him any good to be petty toward her. He took a breath, turned back toward her, and took her hands in his.

He could feel her hands trembling in his as she looked up at him. "So, you don't want me to leave?"

"No, we have a son to worry about," he said as he looked into her eyes.

"I want there to be more to it than that," she said, quietly, sadly. She didn't hold his gaze, looking down at his hands, running her fingers over some of the calluses as she focused her attention on them so that she wouldn't have to look at him.

"I'll have to think about it. I don't know if I will ever feel like I can trust you that much ever again."

"Is there anything that I can do to make it better?" she asked, her eyes flicking occasionally up to his face.

He thought about it for a while, watching her, and he finally deciding on something. "I want you to give up the way of the Sith. I want you to come live at the Temple. It could be arranged, but I know you won't do that, so I won't even ask."

She stood there in stunned silence, still as she considered his ultimate goal.

"But I can think of something else, something that I can ask you, that you can do easily, that I will know if you are not doing, and you should even see as reasonable."

"What do you want me to do?" she asked in a whisper.

He took her chin in his hand; he wanted to be able to see her reaction as he told her, "I want you to remove yourself from the war; I somehow doubt that you will end up on the same side as the Jedi when it comes time to pick sides. Stay on Coruscant, where you and the baby will be safe."

He released her, and she looked down at her hands for a long time, then she looked up at him briefly before she answered. "Ok. I'll stay out of the war. I won't promise that I'll stay on Coruscant, but I won't go back to the Outer Rim."

He understood at that moment how easily he could have been tempted into a compromising situation with her, because right at that moment all he wanted to do was take her in his arms and hold her, tell her everything was going to be alright, no matter how impossible it would be to make that happen. She could undo him so easily if he let her.

The silence that surrounded them was nearly deafening him, and dawn was fast approaching. "You need to go if you don't want to remain at the Temple as a permanent guest," he said gently, and she looked up at him again.

She nodded, content now that he had given her some small amount of hope. "Good-bye, then," she said as she started to pull her fingers from him. On impulse he held her fast, and she turned back to him. He drew her to him, and she came willingly, and he kissed her, and it felt like the entire planet's stockpiles of fireworks were going off inside his head all at once.

* * *

**Coruscant, Jedi Temple, Skywalker Balcony, 39:6:15**

Luke watched as his younger brother talked with _her._ He wasn't sure any more what to call her. The mother of Cedric's child. A Sith on the path of redemption. She was more friend now than enemy, if he looked at it in that way. A dangerous person, like a feral animal, to be sure, but one that could be trusted not to kill for no reason, at least. He had hidden his Force signature carefully before he had come out, and they were so emotionally wrapped up in each other that they hadn't noticed him. He _thought_ Cedric realized he was there, but he couldn't be sure. He listened to their conversation, and found himself rather surprised at the depth that they cared for one another. Cedric was still incredibly upset with her when Luke had come out, but he was able to set that aside because he knew that he could reach her better with the care that he'd shown her than the anger at the situation she had put him in.

Luke was really rather proud of his younger brother. He'd shown a maturity that he knew was rare at thirteen, but as he watched Cedric tell her that it was time for her to go, Cedric did something that apparently surprised Tann just as much as it did Luke. Cedric kissed her. He could feel Cedric leaking emotion all over the place, and he mentally tapped on the boy's shoulder. _If you don't quit that you'll be in a right pickle._

He felt Cedric's mental tone color with chagrin. _If I have to deal with this, I should at least see why._

Luke shook his head as Cedric broke away from her, and this time he let her go. Cedric walked over to where Luke had hidden himself in the shadows. He doubted Tann could even see him from her ship at this point. "You are a masochist."

"What's a masochist?"

"Someone who does things that will cause them pain on purpose."

Cedric shrugged. "I still think it's possible to fix her."

"You care deeply for her, despite what she did to you?" Luke asked as he moved out into the Coruscanti dawn.

Cedric nodded. "I don't think she has a firm grasp on the concepts of right and wrong. I'm not going to…punish her for something she doesn't understand completely. But that doesn't mean that I feel like I can trust her."

Luke nodded. "So what are you going to do about her?"

"Force, Luke, I don't know what I can do with her. I practically blackmailed her into giving up on the whole war thing. I don't want her fighting you, or you fighting her, or anything."

"She agreed to that?"

"I think if I'd asked she would have agreed to stay at the Temple, but I don't think she's ready, or that I'm ready, or for that matter, most of the Temple is ready for that, and she would have been miserable."

"She wants back in your good graces?"

"I think so. I think when she came here she was afraid that I wouldn't even talk to her, or that if I did, that it would only be to hurt her."

"Does that bother you?"

"That she thinks I would hurt her?" Cedric asked, but Luke waited for him to answer the question. "It bothers me a lot that she didn't trust me."

"Well, it seems that you both are going to have some things to work out if you are going to make anything resembling a functional relationship."

"So you think it might work out?"

"I don't know, Cedric. That depends on a lot of different things. But I think I have to agree that sitting around making the past into an issue that blocks any progress won't help anything."

Luke wondered briefly if Cedric could convince her to talk to Dad, at least about the war, or maybe him, but dismissed the notion. She probably could tell them a good deal about the forces that the IGBC would now have at their disposal, but he doubted they could get her to agree to talk to them, and he doubted he could get his father to be calm enough for such a discussion. Both were possible, though. "Hey, Cedric."

"What?"

"Do you think you could ask her to talk to one of our more brilliant strategists about the forces that the opposition will have in this war?"

"I can ask, but I don't think she'll want to. Who did you want her to talk to?"

"Militarily, the best person she could talk to would be Dad."

"I don't think Dad would talk."

"I don't either."

"She might talk to you. I think she actually respects you."

"If she will, I can put aside any issues I have with her for long enough to get information out of her."

"Maybe the future isn't really as dark as it's been looking."

"I hope not, Cedric. I hope we can make the Sith a memory that only gives young children nightmares, and nothing more."

"The Sith will be gone. Dad is the Chosen One; his birth spells the end of the Sith."

"Yes, Cedric, I hope the prophecy is being read correctly on this one. I would hate to think that we'd left some Shadow of the Sith on the face of the Galaxy."

Cedric had no response, and they went inside, hopeful but resolute for the future.


End file.
